


Steal your heart

by satu (turva_auto), Sk0ene



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alpha Erwin Smith, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Anxiety, Assault, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Heavy Angst, Insecurity, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Inaccuracies, Mentions of miscarriage, Mpreg, Omega Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Omega Verse, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Scent Marking, Scents & Smells, Slow Build, Thief Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, rich daddy Erwin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2020-10-26 08:36:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 191,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20739356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turva_auto/pseuds/satu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sk0ene/pseuds/Sk0ene
Summary: He loved art, he loved old expensive nick nacks, but most of all he loved the money it would make him.There was that well situated blonde role model living on the top floor and a little bird tweeted that he had something in store, Levi longed to have. Little did he know that his entire life would be turned upside down, to get entangled and torn by one simple alpha.He was only a small omega, easily overlooked and underestimated until life decided to throw him a curveball in the middle of the peak of his career.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a project I'm writing with my dear Skoene. We are still working on it, so it's a work in progress.  
The updates will be a little irregular, due to RL getting in the way, but we aim to update once a week. (Don't worry, we already have plenty written, that just needs some editing.)  
We choose to not set a warning, but please mind the taggs. We tagged as heavy as we could, to avoid bad surprises, without having to give away the entire storyline.  
If you are uncomfortable with any of the mentioned topics above, please proceed with caution or exit out.

The cold air of late August nights, was nipping at his heels as he leisurely crossed the street downtown, to get closer to the high rises scraping at the sky. The night dimly lit by street lamps in a soft glow, yet still busy and loud as he blended in with the string of drunken bar strollers, people coming off their shift and whoever else that wasn't asleep by now.

He had been here plenty over the past weeks, scouting out his next big coup. Preparation was key, he wasn't among one of the best thefts for nothing. He was smart and he was wanted. There was a bounty on his head for robbing a Da Vinci in France back in May, right during daylight hours in the middle of the fucking Louvre. He had loved every single second of that thrill. Couldn't care less about the bounty, since nobody had any idea what he did look like. His disguises work in his favor each time. 

He was only a small omega, easily overlooked and underestimated.

He loved art, he loved old expensive nick nacks, but most of all he loved the money it would make him. 

There was that well situated blonde role model living on the top floor and a little bird tweeted that he had something in store, Levi longed to have. 

The filthy rich, had enough to spare and share, he thought bitterly. Wouldn't hurt to sneak a few dollars extras for all the trouble they put him through, to obtain certain objects. 

He crossed the luxurious lobby in quick efficient strides, like he had been here all his life, the doorman giving him a toothy grin, without a flicker of suspicion or doubt. 

Levi could already taste it on his tongue, in the middle of all those stinky alphas around him - this was going to be good. A cherry on top of his cake.

  
  


A cold wind blow enveloped him and Erwin tightened his coat as he left the office building. The material felt heavy on his shoulders, but shielded him from the freezing air tearing through the small path down to the parking lot. Lamps illuminated the way, but the sky itself was pitch black and just as dark, as in the beginning of the day, when Erwin would arrive at the office to start his day. 

It has been a long strenuous day at work due to a major business deal and he was tired after hours of merciless negotiation with a business partner, who wasn’t able to recognize the potential of a possible fusion with another company. In the end the financial calculation convinced even Nile – the steady working but risk shy sales manager – and Erwin was able to secure the deal. The day couldn’t have been better and if he wasn’t filthy rich before, he would have been now.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate and he was one heartbeat away to ask his best friend Mike to go out for a drink or two. - Finally after weeks of barely hearing from each other. But something stopped Erwin. It might have been the fact that he didn’t want to intrude on the other alpha’s new found happiness with his lovely little omega Nanaba, but something felt off, as he left his apartment in the morning. Lately there was an unusual sweet smell in the air. The smell of an omega - which was weird, considering the fact that Erwin lived in an expensive neighborhood full of other alphas or betas with no unmated omega around. There was simply no way that an omega could afford such a high living standard on their own. 

Especially regarding the fact that omegas – especially decent omegas- were a rare sight to behold. 

Now sitting in his car, his sharp features illuminated by the bright screen of his smartphone, still looking at Mike’s contact information, Erwin swallowed down a short pang of envy. Shaking his head he put the phone away and started the engine, making his way home.

  
  


Levi made his way up in the elevator, legs bouncing in anticipation. He used the easily copied keycard, stolen from the doorman in late July, to enter the loft without needing the actual key, a wave of well concentrated alpha pheromones enveloping him like a wall, almost making it hard to breathe for a few seconds. His body shook with small tremors, black hoodie suddenly itchy on his pale skin. He swallowed thickly, regaining his composure, before letting the door fall shut with a soft click.

That one must be a very strong headed alpha, if the stink was anything to go by. He hated this part the most, it always left him feeling a little dizzy. But now wasn't the time to hesitate, according to his research he had 1 hour left, before the big blonde oof would return home, maybe 10 minutes more, give or take, the fact that he had to park in the underground garage, before coming up.

Levi dimmed the lights, he had switched on, bright enough to see clearly, but low enough to not attract suspicion. The hallway was aligned with 2 beautiful graphics, but both were just cheap fake copies, he had found out on his last visit to scout the premises. 

One was a calm beach scene, with a short straw hut dominating the left side and the other a skyline sketch in black and blue. Both starkly contrasting the white walls and small silver frames, they were strung up in.

"It's not even the same scene, why would you put this up next to one another." He muttered under his breath, as he strode forward.

The room on the list for today, was the living room, an open plan space to his right, surrounded by bottom to ceiling windows. It was sparsely decorated in cream and dark brown colors. Levi gagged a little. 

"Sweet jesus, grandpa are you in your 50s or what?" His gaze swept across the room quickly. There was hardly a space to hide from all the windows, but no cameras were put up, just as the floorplan had suggested. He sighed relieved, letting his hood drop down. The wall to his left was stuffed full with an entertainment system and so far, there wasn't any framed artwork on display. 

A bummer.

Everytime he had to come back was a risk, but first he had to know where blondie kept the precious old map he was looking for, so he could finally get to it. Maybe he hadn't put it on show after all?

Levi scanned through the few family photos put up on the mantelpiece, all black and white, smiley faces, unfocused and a little shaky. Not a hint of wealth in there, more like a bunch of hillbilly farmers, that made him wonder how the alpha got so wealthy. 

He had run a background check to determine, that he wasn't fucking with the mafia at least, because nothing good ever came from this, but it didn't necessarily provide much. Erwin Smith was as clean as a sheet.

Realizing he had been caught up in his thoughts for way too long, lulled into fake safety by the potential alpha smell in the air, Levi cursed, before going back to flipping through the few cupboards and nick nacks on the coffee table, but nothing of interest caught his eye.

"Oh this is just great!" He muttered, as the alarm on his watch went off, indicating he better got his ass back out within the next 10 minutes. 

He hastily put everything back, stumbling back into the hallway to switch off the lights. His foot had caught in the throw above the couch, but there was no time to put it back on entirely. Hopefully blondie wouldn't notice.

The second he was out, hoodie pulled up and opened the door to the staircase, he caught a glimpse of blond leaving the elevator.

That was a shit for close call. Levi was mad at himself for getting so distracted.

As Erwin left the elevator he could have sworn, he heard the small click of the door leading to the staircase. 'Weird.' - he thought to himself- ' Who in their right mind would use the stairs in a building this high?' But as he opened the door to look down the stairs, there was nobody to be seen. Only a slight hint of the sweet scented smell tickled his nose. Putting the thought aside and blaming it on his tiredness after a long day at work, Erwin turned around and fumbled with his keys and card to unlock his apartment door. After all he was the only one living on the highest floor of the building. There was no reason anyone else would have been there. 

Discarding his heavy coat Erwin as usual made his way to the kitchen first. Opening the fridge but finding nothing to his liking, he instead grabbed a bag of crisps, deciding to spend at least a bit of time in leisure and probably sleeping in on his couch, like his father used to do as well. He truly felt like he was getting old, despite being in his early forties. 

Laying down on his couch Erwin absentmindedly reached out for the throw, only to not find it in its usual space. As if hit by a bolt of lightning Erwin sat up and looked around. The throw was barely on the couch, most parts laying on the ground, as if someone had been caught in it and suddenly had to leave very quickly. Clutching the soft material in his hand Erwin took a look around and noticed that one picture frame on his coffee table was a bit more to the left than usual. With a bitter taste in his mouth Erwin realised that his tired mind wasn't just playing games with him. That he wasn't just imagining the sickly sweet bouts of smell that returned here and there lately, especially in close proximity to his apartment. That it was unusually strong right now, as if he barely missed the intruder.

Levi was almost melting into the wall, having sprinted already two floors down, as the door above was opened. If he got caught now, that would be a pity party. He was one of the best and he sure as all hell didn't want to go down like this, so nice and easy.

He was in the business way too long to be a dumb fish. 

Grumbling and cussing out Erwin under his breath, after the door closed again and no footsteps could be heard, he trudged down a few more floors, before taking the elevator the rest of the way down, with a stone cold face. 

He returned home to the suburbs, to his run down house that was waiting to be bulldozed after Kenny had died. The long track home, giving him enough time to work himself up into a frenzy. How could he have been so careless? This was just stupid on his behalf.

He rubbed his face tiredly, standing under the cold moldy shower, going over every detail of the night. He had fucked up, so this left him with minimal options. He could give up on the treasure, but he wasn't a pussy, or he could wait at least a week before returning with more precautions set into place.

This was an exciting prospect, at least until he reached for the smell canceling soap on the shower floor and realized something. His heat would be coming up in about a week, rendering him useless for at least an agonizing 8 days, if not more. Oh fuck his life, he needed to get this job done fast. 

His heat was the only thing he detested about being an omega, in the worst case it could higher his scent to a degree not even soaps could cancel out. Apart from the old-school true mates can smell each other anyway bullshit, he didn't believe for a split second.

Brushing his teeth aggressively, he dropped the prospect of a late night dinner altogether and rather rolled up on the mattress in his old childhood bedroom on the ground floor, before passing out to the sounds of the wind whistling through the rotten and partly crushed upper floor.

He had to figure shit out and he had to figure it out fast.

  
  


"Didn't brush your eyebrows today, Erwin?" Were the words Nile greeted him with first, at work a bit snarkier than necessary. Receiving no reaction he added "Seriously… you don't look so good."

"Just a little trouble sleeping, not to worry."

Truth was that Erwin didn't sleep at all last night. Fueled by caffeine he was a man on a mission, searching his entire apartment looking for more evidence. Nothing. Aside from a slightly misplaced picture frame and his throw. Nothing at all. Still Erwins mind came to no rest, buzzing with new possibilities and analyzing the little proof he had for his assumption. The intruder was good, most likely a professional, that broke into rich people’s houses for a living. Probably to even have a living. The intruder was most likely an omega, Erwin concluded, but couldn't help to be intrigued. There has been a sweet smell in the air lately, only slightly, as if the omega had been using cheap scent cancelling soap, that wasn't able to hide the intensifying sweet undertone indicating a close heat. An unmated omega without a family to support him basically had no chance in a world that was mostly dominated by alphas like Erwin himself. Usually standing tall and proud, displaying dominance and confidence, leading the way and making important decisions. There was simply no place for little fragile omegas. Omegas simply stayed at home, keeping the house clean and comfortable while raising the pups. Although Erwin didn't wholeheartedly believe in these stereotypes and instead treated everyone with the same respect, he saw this belief in other alphas. It wasn't uncommon for omegas that didn't meet the expectations to be discarded like trash. So if his assumptions were correct and the intruder was indeed an omega close to heat, Erwin mused, taking a sip of yet another coffee, then the omega had two choices left. Giving up or trying again very soon. Feeling a rush of excitement running through him, Erwin kind of hoped for the second option.

Levi didn't sleep for more than 4 hours straight as per usual. He woke up feeling just as restless and uncomfortable as the previous night. He literally bathed himself in scent canceler and disinfection, scrubbing away at his scent glands and body inside and out, until his skin came pretty close to win a competition against a lobster. Waiting would just make matters worse. He had to get a move on to get his trinket.

He threw on a housekeeper disguise, to get easier access. Nobody would question Erwin Smith's maid, or well anyone's. He had no obligations to check in with the front desk, deciding to enter the staircase via the emergency access and then make his way up in the elevator. The remaining occupants of the other apartments wouldn't second guess him. 

He packed a few cameras to place inside Erwin's condo just for the fun of it. The big blonde should be at work all day, so he had ample time to look through his shit and hopefully find what he was looking for.

A scarf was hiding his neck, that was all red and raw from his shower and doused in scent canceler to help delete any trace of scent he might let linger.

Getting in wasn't a problem at all, just as he had procrastinated. So he sighed in relief once the door shut behind him, leaving him in a cloud of alpha pheromones, that belonged to mister filthy rich. Levi ignored the hallway, went past the living room and ignored the kitchen as well. No dumb shit would keep year old paper in a fucking kitchen with grease and humidity. The next door to his left was a spare bedroom, filled with a couple of moving boxes, that made his hands itch. Couldn't that dude at least bother to unpack? How long had he been living here, probably a century according to his taste in decoration and furniture.

  
  


“Are you sure you didn’t just forget to tidy up after yourself? I mean, no offense, no one is as efficient as you at work here, but at home you are a slob.” 

Hanji meant well. They really meant well, but Erwin could barely suppress an eye roll.

“You probably slept in on the couch again and forgot to put the throw back on properly. I mean, last time I was at your home, you hadn’t even unpacked all the boxes! Please tell me they are unpacked.”

“Of course they are.” Erwin answered a little too fast. Lunch break started to feel like an interrogation and Erwin started to regret asking for advice from his work colleagues and also friends regarding the matter. The three of them sat in the spacious canteen up on the fourth floor, Erwin sitting across from Hanji and Mike. The space was otherwise barely occupied, only a few people walking around, making a lot of effort to look as busy and important as they could. When silence fell upon them again and Erwin turned to look out of one of the big glass windows, starting to disappear in his thoughts again, Hanji elbowed Mike in the side, as a not so subtle signal to finally say something on the matter, too.

“Work is really getting to you, you should tone it down a little.” he started vaguely. This time Erwin couldn’t suppress the eye roll. “There are other things in life you should start to consider.” 

Unbelievable. Now his friends of many years thought he was getting crazy, because of the stress and work. 

“What do you mean with that, Mike?” Erwin bit back.

“Maybe you are just lonely. An omega close to heat rummaging through your grandpa apartment, as if you would have any great treasure there. Could be your rut talking? Because truth be told: any omega with taste, would turn around and run away seeing your design choices. Or start cleaning up. Although this would be a blessing. You really could use a maid. And if you could smell yourself, believe me, your pheromo-” 

At that Erwin inhaled to give Mike back his own medicine. He didn’t need to be lectured about giving his best efforts for the company, securing all their positions and improving humanity as a whole, just because of his best friends raging hormones and lovey dovey mindset, since the tall dirty blonde got mated. 

“For your information, I like my apartment. It is warm and welcoming. You sure didn’t complain the last time you sat on my couch eating my food!”

“That was three months ago, Erwin, please. When was the last time you have seen someone? Hell, the last time you really did something for yourself, aside from buying too many crisps?” 

A long time ago, but his friends didn’t have to know that. Erwin couldn’t understand their worried glances. He was happy with his life, Erwin told himself, as he returned to his office, yet another coffee in his hand. His apartment looked just fine. Of course he couldn’t clean up every day, but he managed. After all he barely spent time there, so he couldn’t make it dirty, so what’s the point? Even the unpacked boxes didn’t bother him anymore. He knew what was in there, he didn’t need it yet, so why should he bother? 

Taking a big gulp of coffee, Erwin opened a new document, trying to focus on the work ahead. Hm. Lonely? Why would Mike think that of him? It must have left a big impression on the even taller alpha, for him to be so direct about it, since he is usually more tactful. Insinuating that he was smelling of pent up hormones.

“You might be more productive in the long run, if you take some time to figure it out, Erwin. No one wants you tired and distracted at work, we can’t afford you burning out like a candle. And maybe if you are right and we are terrible friends right now, for being worried and doubting your story, maybe changing your usual schedule, could help you figure out the truth.” Hanji’s words still rang in his ears. Staring at the empty page of the computer screen, Erwin couldn’t focus. For the first time in forever he considered going home a little earlier than usual, or even taking some time off.

  
  


Dust was making Levi sneeze every two minutes, as he opened box after box. There was an old waffle iron in one, along with a multitude of cables, from which probably 95% no longer worked or had the opponent part missing. More photos old and new haphazardly thrown in another box, along with some duct tape and glue. It was icky, one tube already smearing its contents all over the memories. Levi felt like gagging at the pure sight of it. 

He used his black bandana as a makeshift handkerchief, covering up his nose and mouth, as he moved on through kitchen supplies, folders full of paperwork, where the back was turning yellow and the pen had started to rub off, as he flickered through them with his thumb, before stacking them back in neatly, because all this mess was driving him up the wall.

He usually put everything back in place, just as he had found it, but he doubted mister dumpster even remembered how he had packed any of these boxes.

Some contained shoes and clothing, with some still zipped into their dry cleaning covering. There was a couple filled with books to the brim, but no maps. He felt like tearing his hair out. 

The remaining two boxes were a multitude of DVDs, different computer programmes, titled back until the 90s even. 

Seriously, no person in their right set of mind would hold onto an old copy of Windows 95! 

Levi kicked the box for good measure, leaving behind a dent in the ageing cardboard. Nothing! 

Still coming up empty handed frustrated him to no end. Where was he hiding this fucking piece of shit crumbling paper? He had to have it!

The wardrobe was stacked with towels and bedsheets, both deeply smelling of depressing mothballs. He skipped the ensuite and moved down to another bedroom, this one clearly used, if the unmade bed was anything to go by.

"Such a slob." He muttered, going through the bedside drawers one by one, finding the usual.

Chargers, tissues, medication, well underwear and socks too. That was odd. At least they seemed washed. 

Levi folded the pair of Calvin Klein boxers back in there neatly, moving on to the left side. His yaw met the floor, as he pulled open the first drawer, lube, condoms weren't this uncommon, but a multitude of chains and fabric clearly was. "Perverted old bastard." He rolled his eyes, opening the next one, that was full of sextoys, half of them Levi didn't even know what to use them for. 

The pattern continued on through the entire dresser along the wall, which held a multitude of different sized butt plugs, handcuffs, ropes and other shit. "Kinky old pervert, obviously." He murmured. 

He skimmed the wardrobe for any boxes, but found none, so only 2 rooms left and not much time, according to his watch. Levi sighed deeply, this entire mission was suicide. He rather steal a Mona Lisa, at least he wouldn't have to look through hole invested tennis socks no more.


	2. Chapter 2

The sky began to darken when Erwin finally pressed enter, saved the file and decided to call it a day. After he was able to shut out his friends' worried comments and managed to focus on his file, the day had been productive as usual. With inspiration finally finding him again, the file basically wrote itself, so fast, that Erwin was half an hour earlier out of the building than usual. 

He considered turning around and going back to his office, when he saw Hanji’s shit eating grin, as they met in the elevator. Although seeing Nile almost choking on his coffee and spluttering half of it over his formerly white shirt, reinforced his decision. 

As he entered the building, he gave the doorman the usual polite sharp nod and proceeded to make his way to the elevator. Standing there waiting, Erwin could have slapped himself for not thinking of it sooner. Swiftly he turned around and made his way back to the man. 

“Excuse me?” he started with a firm voice, standing right in front of the doorman. An ordinary beta, although relatively tall built, but not as tall as Erwin himself, that regarded him with a slightly bored, but polite expression. “Did anything unusual happen here lately?” Erwin began, but since he only received a surprised expression from the other man, he clarified “I mean, did anyone enter or leave the building that is new or unfamiliar?” Not realising he basically undermined the other man’s competence to do his job properly, which was rewarded with an insulted scowl, Erwin waited. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, the doorman thought about it for a while. 

“No, not really.” he finally said. 

Disappointed, Erwin wished the doorman a nice evening and turned away, making his way, yet again, to the elevator. Suddenly he heard the doorman calling after him. 

“Well aside from your maid. He should still be upstairs right now.” 

Erwin halted his steps, frozen. Turning around, he saw the doorman giving him a dirty wink.

“That tiny twink every week. That’s your maid, isn’t it?”

  
  


Levi gave the bookshelf a fleeting glance, the boards already bowing under the weight, clearly close to crumble all together, as he stepped out into the hallway, ready to tackle the last two rooms. One turned out to be a personal library, with a baby piano, taking up the middle of the room, along with a set of comfortable looking, but clearly very well aged couches, so the other must be the study he concluded. 

Trying to decide, which one held more potential to store the desired map, he decided to keep looking through the library, getting lost in the load of books, that scattered up to the high ceiling, a well loved throughout collection, with no alphabetical order, any order of theme or just about any fucking order. Thrillers, sci-fi, psychos, life stories, short stories, biographies, everything mixed up together. 

He knocked his head against one of the boards, making his wig slide a little to the left.

"Seriously can't even do something this simple." He hissed, as his finger slipped across the back of books, skimming the titles. There was an old geography book, and something about oceans, but nothing about maps. He took out the geography book, flipping through the pages, completely oblivious, tugging at his wig hair, as a cough alerted his attention.

Oh shit!

He twirled around in lightning speed, making his maid dress fly up, as he put on a fake shocked expression, trying to make his eyes look as big and innocent as possible.

"What are you doing here!" The blond voice was deep, but ice cold, as it echoed through the room. He seemed angry, standing there with his arms crossed blocking the doorway. Levi gulped down obnoxiously, the room thick with tension and alpha pheromones.

He put up a frown, purposefully pitching his voice up, before he decided to dive head first into the situation to save his ass. 

"Da?" He exaggeratedly pointed at his flat chest. "Me, is cleaning Mr. Nile's datcha. You not Mr. Nile." He exclaimed in a thick fake russian accent, even managing to play off his overheating cheeks, as a sort of blush, as his fingers knotted the fabric of his costume tightly, actually feeling up the strapped up knife on his thigh, considering when would be the best moment to use it, should he have to. He pretended to tear up really badly, as Erwin kept staring at him.

Could he just buy that facade fucking please. Levi knew Nile was living a few floors down in the same building, it made for a great cover.

When Erwin had entered his apartment, as quietly as possible, he had found the intruder in his library. An omega, as suspected, and a male one at that, as suggested by the doorman. Standing in the doorway, Erwin had been astounded by the omega’s demeanor. So he couldn’t do something simple like sorting books, said the little twink invading his privacy. If this was his biggest worry for now, Erwin would be eager to change that. 

“Mr. Nile doesn’t need another maid. He has Mrs. Nile. She doesn’t like to share, you should have known that. So quit the fake accent and tell me, what you are really doing here!” commanded Erwin in his deep alpha voice, not buying any of the tearing up pity party the omega attempted, to probably save his ass and escape his fate.

Anger had risen up like bile in his throat and surpassed the brief satisfaction of being right with his assumptions, when he heard the blatant lie of an excuse the omega offered, tearing up on him like he actually believed the alpha to be that foolish. Still Erwin couldn’t help, but take in his features. The omega was as small as he was skinny, probably from not eating enough, the dress pronouncing his slender waist and the curve of his hips. He wore a wig and Erwin's fingers itched to tear it away, but not yet. His nose was small, a sharp contrast to Erwins own prominent nose and the alpha couldn’t help to find it cute. But the most intriguing part were the omegas eyes. Sparkling with tears and widened in fear, they were a sight to behold, a deep gray, so empty yet full of desperation. Still waiting for an answer, Erwin couldn’t help but wonder, how those mysterious eyes would look like with real tears in them.

Levi was speechless, as Erwin was having none of his excuses. It was hard to keep his face from scowling, as he was called out on his bluff. The fact that he was using his alpha voice made his skin itch to obey. Totally playing dirty in this regard. Levi wanted to sock him in the face for good measure. But he wasn't giving up just yet, brain going a mile a minute to figure out the shit show he found himself in.

Why couldn't he have just given up on the trinket for once? At least the alpha hadn't called the cops yet. Levi decided to go all out, covering his mouth with his hands, feigning being agast and letting his non-existent tears slip down his cheeks, possibly ruining his itchy make up. 

"Me, not lying!" He exclaimed, holding onto his disguise and making himself appear, as small and frightened as possible. If Erwin would step up close enough to give him an opening to make a run for it. Lolita shoes be damned, he could leave them behind Cinderella style.

"Mr. Nile saying he pay good money, his wife not know." He whipped at his cheek with one hand, letting his mouth quiver. "He brought me all way from Russia, said we marry if I'm good job." He fake cried.

If Erwin would order him around once more with his alpha voice, his body might betray him. His legs felt like jello, so he wasn't even faking the shivering, skin pulled tight, sweat beading down his back, from the way his body heated up in response to Erwin's strong scent.

Jesus fuck, he was done for. 

He needed out and he needed to get out fast and as far away from the intimidating alpha as possible. Maybe wait a few weeks, before trying to get the job done again, or really just give up on it entirely. 15 million dollars down the drain was reason enough to actually cry.

He had to save up on single jobs, in case Kenny's house was taken down. He needed a place to stay desperately, just in case. The state could bulldoze the dump of a house any second by now. But most jobs he did were requested, only paying him 1/5 of what it was worth. He couldn't fuck this up now.

Killing Smith was an option, but assassinating people wasn't in his job description. He wasn't Kenny. 

Also it would be way too risky in a camera invested building like this, they possibly had records of him coming and going for weeks by now. Wouldn't take a genius to figure out he wasn't a rental owner, left alone discarding a body from the top floor without meeting anyone or leaving any traces behind, was totally out of the question.

Also killing people was way too dirty, but it reminded him about the cameras he had placed in the rooms so far to spy on Erwin. If the alpha would find any of the devices now, Levi was going to be dead meat. But at least looking at one, would distract the alpha long enough for Levi to haul his ass outside.

“So you accidentally cleaned the wrong apartment, my apartment, for weeks? Nile surely would have noticed that. I highly doubt he sent you to clean my apartment, too. Maybe I should call him?" 

The Omega was obviously lying through his teeth, getting desperate, because he was running out of options. First Erwin considered immediately calling the police, but decided to have a little fun with the little guy in front of him. Although every word out of his mouth was a lie, Erwin could tell that the goosebumps on his skin and the heated gaze were genuine. Probably a reaction to his strong alpha pheromones. Erwin couldn't hide a knowing smirk. 

Stepping closer, Erwin noticed that there was no smell on the little omega this time around. Although this helped him keep a clear mind, he felt a bit disappointed, longing for the sweet smell, he was so sure that it belonged to the small omega. 

"You don't want me to call Nile? Or anyone else for that matter?" 

The omega fidgeted with his dress, although it seemed that one of his hands slowly made his way to something hidden, probably a knife. The omega must be truly desperate, if he thought he could take on an alpha in his prime, that he barely reached the shoulder of. 

Suddenly hunching forward, taking the omega by surprise, Erwin swiftly aimed for the searching arm, clutching it in the iron grip of his left hand. With his other hand he removed the wig, revealing a messy black undercut. Grabbing the small chin and forcing him to look him straight in the eye - blue meeting gray - Erwin brought their bodies close together, lulling the small omega in with his pheromones. Feeling the others body heat so close to his, towering over the little man, Erwin inquired again, using his alpha voice

"So why don't you tell me now, what you are truly doing in my apartment?"

  
  


Levi hissed at him, a feral response coded into his omega brain, from centuries long passed. Erwin wasn't openly threatening him, but his grip was tight enough to surely leave bruises and the pheromones in the air made him dizzy, ten seconds short of just letting his eyes roll back into his skull. The chances of Erwin possibly letting go, if he faked to faint, were slim at best. It wouldn't help his case, should he actually lose consciousness in the presence of the strong and clearly mad alpha. No matter what his shaking body tried to do, to convince his brain to leave the situation at hand by doing just that. Danger be damned.

He tried twisting away, but the blond stood firm, voice authoritative in it's own carnal way, if anything, it just brought their bodies closer together.

Of course he didn't want him to call fucking Nile. He didn't want him to call anyone! He couldn't afford to leave town head over heels like a stray dog, in order to escape the authorities' long fingers.

He really should have stayed in France.

Levi smirked, feeling the need to protect himself in a last ditch effort, by showing off free will in the most degrading way to an alpha. He actually spat into Erwin's face, who looked at him flabbergasted for mere seconds.

"Fuck you!" He sure as hell might have signed his own death certificate by now. "Maybe I was here, because I thought you were hot. Well newsflash grandpa: I would rather take two strangers' double knots, instead of your defleating device!" Levi snarled, still struggling, to at least free his face from the firm pressure of the blonds grip. The alphas hand was way too close to his neck and airway for comfort.

So now the omega started to show his true colors. Surprised he took in the exasperated look of the omega. With no hands free, the spit started to cool down stickily on his cheek, some of it even drying on his eyelashes and brows. They stared at each other speechless for a moment. It wasn’t his usual style, but the feisty little creature left him no choice. With clear disgust written on his face, Erwin yanked the omega down and threw him on the ground with no mercy. Immediately he followed him down, pressing the smaller frame head first to the ground, pinning him down with a firm hold on his neck and regaining his hold of the right wrist. The left hand of the omega was squished under the combined weight of their bodies. The omega reinforced his struggles, trying to get up, but failing pitifully, at hauling the far heavier alpha off of his slender frame.

“Are you sure about that?" Leaning down, Erwin whispered in the omega’s ear, feeling a shiver running through the body underneath him “Your body certainly responds to me quite nicely. Still you were not here to seduce me, if you were, you wouldn’t have tried to hide your smell.” 

Erwin wiped his cheek clean on the omegas back and started nosing at his neck, still finding no smell. The omegas neck felt fragile and looked ridiculously small, encompassed by his big hand. Seeing this weakness Erwin shifted his bodyweight and strengthened his grip on the neck, face still close to the omega. The room was silent, aside from little winces and the alphas heavy breathing down the small neck. 

Suddenly biting down on his ear, enjoying the omegas choked out sob, Erwin growled. 

“This is the last time I will ask this nicely. So I recommend an actual answer unless you want me to call the police and tell them all about it, how you snooped around in my apartment and spied on me for weeks."

"For.. weeks?" Levi stuttered out through his raging breath, even managing to snort, despite fear clouding his mind. He was fucked and he knew it, but hell could freeze over, before he let the big blonde just use his body. That was not the way he was supposed to go down. 

"Been here like 2 times. You... not that inter... interesting." Levi winced. The firm grip on his neck basically rendered him useless, he couldn't move much anyway, with that fucking fatass taking up residence on his back and things, he was almost drowning under the giant alpha.

Fuck those feral instincts, that's exactly the reason, why he rather suffered through heat alone.

Alpha's were not capable of love, they only knew how to use and abuse, how to take, but not give. Erwin biting his ear, had his brain in a frenzy, he could hardly think straight between his brain misfiring on all ends and the pain his neck was in. Fingers digging into his scent glands, still hidden under the scarf. If the alpha was going to keep this up for much longer, he might start bleeding through the prestige white linen fabric, ruining it for eternity. Getting blood out was already bothersome, but trying to scrub out blood, mixed with scent oils was impossible. 

For the first time Levi actually wanted to cry. He couldn't even answer in between forcing air into his lungs and panicking over the fate of this simple piece of garment.

He never really relied on material things, they were easily replaceable, but this one was not. If Erwin ruined it, he would probably lose the rest of his sanity and die, or kill him, or die trying to actually kill the alpha.

The scenario was overwhelming, his ears were ringing, his head hurt and even though he didn't believe in god, he wanted something to happen. Anything would do, as long as it would distract the alpha long enough to let him flee.

Didn't that guy have friends, who would call or show up unannounced, or some shit like that.

He was semi aware that Erwin was babbling something, but he couldn't understand a single word, despite his best efforts. 

"Always told you, you would fuck with the wrong alpha, boy!" He could hear Kenny snarling from the depths of his internal terror. It should possibly spur him into action, but fighting wasn't really possible and fleeing wasn't an option either, so for the first time, Levi actually prayed to just pass the fuck out.

He couldn't handle this any longer.

Should the idiot call the cops, he will just feed them lies and convince them that blondie had tried to assault him.

Levi wasn't even aware anymore that he was indeed full on sobbing and hyperventilating.

“I never assumed you were here for me. And yet no sufficient answer.” Erwin snarled, losing his patience. Still receiving no response, Erwin noticed that the shivering of the body beneath him intensified. Breathing rapidly, the little omega renewed its struggle, whining in distress, twisting his neck and choking desperately on air, as if he was actually suffocating. In this moment Erwin realized that he had been pushing his full body weight on the little creature underneath him, especially the neck and lower back, where the other hand was held. Surrounded by alpha musk, face pressed in the floor, the omega wasn’t able to properly breathe, held down like a bitch for the taking. 

Horrified of himself and his lack of control in the heat of the moment, Erwin straightened up and loosened his grip on the omega. Careful he moved to the side and moved the panicking omega with him. Now spooning the smaller male, Erwin put his arms around the shivering omega and pulled him in a firm, but secure hug like an alpha would do, to calm down his suffering mate. Letting his gaze wander down the omega’s body, Erwin was relieved that there was no blood on him. Although he could see sharp red finger prints on the little wrist of the hand, that weakly clawed at his arms, but not really pushing him away. So Erwin decided to stay still for a moment, only crooning and hushing quietly, trying to calm the omega down.

After moments of silence and rendering his mind for anything useful that might improve their situation, he started sounding as neutral as the situation allowed "I am Erwin, but I am sure you already knew that. Still it is polite to introduce yourself. Maybe you could start with your name. I don't want to think of you just as that 'tiny rude omega' "

The moment the hand stopped pressing down on his neck,, Levi was able to actually breathe for a second, even if still struggling to find a normal rhythm. Exhaustion was gnawing deep at his bones and he felt too weak to actually make a run for it. His brain was too occupied to fully register what was going on around him. The crooning helped calm him down somewhat, but he wouldn't trust Erwin, for as far as he could spit. Maybe this was just another puzzle piece to the sick game he was playing by, sweet talking him into a confession of his sins.

Levi had been stabbed in the back and betrayed so often, he didn't trust anyone for shit. Alpha's especially, were the worst on the list, but he couldn't deny that his secondary gender responded to the signals the alpha put out. Even if he would rather just drop dead, instincts couldn't be controlled. 

The moment Erwin made room for him, felt like a vice had been taken off his chest, making it easier to breathe. His neck was still stinging like a bitch and he tried to reach for it, wanting to check for injuries, but Erwin was still holding onto his arms and he just couldn't help it. He was afraid the tranquil moment would shatter into a million pieces should he move too much. A low painful whine kept echoing in his ear, probably coming out of his own mouth too. 

He wanted to lick his wounds in peace, but the only comfort he had so far was enough room to curl up around his legs. He could try kicking out, but there was no power left in his overheated body. The main task on his memory board was limited to keep himself out of any harms way. The angry spike of alpha musk was still stinking up the room, a mix of chilly and black pepper, at least what it smelled like to the omega, despite Erwin trying to appear less threatening.

He was awake enough to realize that Erwin had asked him a question and he felt like he needed to answer it honestly, even if it would dig his own grave, just to keep the alpha relaxed. He detested every second of his shaky voice filling the room. 

"Le... Levi." He muttered, still keeping his eyes closed tightly, refusing to look at his own humiliation, left alone at the face Erwin was making in response. 

The room was too hot, he just wanted to sleep, didn't even put up a fight anymore against the hold and embrace. He was all tired out, never having gone head to head with an alpha before. Usually he was a master of being invisible. 

Omega's were so rare, but still treated like trash. You shouldn't be looking at trash. Trash was not important, so blending in seamlessly was the best he could do. 

But now, in front of this huge blonde alpha, he was stripped of all the gray colours he had been hiding behind, stripped of all the safety barriers. It wasn't safe at all to fall asleep, but a small yawn made him cringe and bury his head, as close to his chest as he dared. He didn't know that he was barring his neck in the process, just making himself more vulnerable. 

It was a sweet delirious state of semi consciousness, keeping his head fogged up. 

It could be the first stages of his heat hitting him after struggling so hard, but Levi had no brain capacity left to worry about it.

A part of him, too tired to give a fuck what happened to his body, the other half lured into a sense of wanna be security. He tried to reach for his hurting neck again, but couldn't even lift a finger. So he remained curled up in the alpha's space helplessly, absentmindedly waiting for what would happen.

The little omega- ‘Levi’ his mind corrected him – finally calmed down, absolutely burned out and tired according to the tiny yawn, Levi tried to hide. 

“Thank you, Levi.” Erwin breathed quietly, not wanting to disrupt the sleepy state the omega was in. He seemed a lot more compliant now, probably due to his exhausted state. Every now and then the omega would shift a little, Erwin shifting with him, bringing them closer together holding him tight. 

It had occurred to Erwin from the beginning, that Levi was probably looking for his treasures, only wanting his wealth and would try running off, living happily ever after, escaping a life in poverty. Regarding his desperation and stoic attitude, the omega was most likely alone in this world, betrayed by many – 'alphas' it occurred to Erwin - and had nobody else to count on. ‘Does he even have a home?’ Questions over questions and Levi didn’t provide many answers, yet. Although Erwin was sure, the omega didn’t lie about his name. Levi, what a strange name. Kind of cute though, and it fitted the little man in his arms. Erwin couldn’t deny that he was intrigued by Levi. Genuinely wanting to know more about him, the alpha prepared to ask him about his background.

But then the omega moved his head a little. Staring down at the now bared neck right in front of him, Erwin barely suppressed a growl, at the display of submission. He could get a glimpse of creamy white skin and his fingers itched to pull away the disturbing scarf,, so he could see all of it. From the short hairs of his undercut, down to the small curve marking the transition from neck to shoulder. Eyes fixating on the point, where the alpha would smell and inhale the omega’s scent to find the ideal spot for the marking bite during mating, just to finally bite down and bond them together, in the exact moment the alphas knot would inflate, locking him inside the omega. 

Erwins heart rate sped up at the implications of an omega baring his neck in such a close proximity to an alpha, showing this much vulnerability, basically inviting him to mate. Although knowing that the move had either been unintentional or one of desperation, excitement filled the alphas body. He tried to keep his scent in check to avoid startling Levi, who was still breathing quietly in his arms.

‘Maybe he is asleep?’ Erwin thought to himself, still eyeing the skin disappearing beneath the scarf. Slowly – driven by curiosity and instinct – Erwin lifted one arm slightly, his hand wandering up the omega’s side, until his fingers reached the scarf, carefully tugging it down a little more. Revealing more skin, Erwin held his breath, licking his lips and fighting the urge to wash, or even lick away the scent canceller. If he would finally be able to smell the omega, how ripe he must smell so close to his heat. The alpha gritted his teeth to hold in another growl. Fighting his instincts and trying not to lose himself in the primal part of his secondary gender, Erwin did not realise that Levi next to him had gone completely still.

Even though the omega rested in a state of barely conscious at all, his instincts were still on high alert. The moment the scarf slipped down, even if just for an inch, made lightning bolts pop up in Levi's dark vision, sending a pain signal so potent to his tired brain, that he would have jolted upright, the second the fabric rubbed over his raw scent glands. With little energy left, he didn't even twitch, but his brain locked up all his muscles, keeping him still, in preparation of what would be an ideal setting for a bonding mark or scent marking. 

Neither was something Levi actually wanted, but his secondary gender simply overruled all morals, activating the false reaction anyway. As if the prey would stay alive, by pretending to be already dead in the eyes of the predator. The reality was, it would get eaten either way, the rest was just wishful thinking, to make you believe, that you had an option left, when fate had already signed your records.

Levi didn't want to mate, didn't want to rely on anyone for anything, but all he could do was stay locked up helplessly in close proximity to Erwin's burning gaze, devouring every inch of his body with his eyes alone.

He was too exhausted to panic again, finding a small comfort in the fact that his ruined scent glands would keep Erwin from placing a lasting bite.

At least, if he was a halfway decent and well behaved alpha, he would refrain from hurting him more, than he already was hurting.

For all the fucks Levi didn't give, he hoped the scent canceling soap would have fucked up his neck so badly by any chance, that it would scar, which would render him a useless mate. You weren't supposed to apply it on injuries, but the mission had been so important to him, that the easiest way to seduce an alpha like Erwin, never crossed his mind. 

Simply dating the guy, play happy fucking family for a while, take what he wanted and get the fuck out. 

The potential of being controlled and having to report back about his every whim and whereabouts to an alpha no less, had been enough to cross whoring right off the list.

The risk of getting attached, that anything would be able to break up his sad loneliness, too much to bear. 

He could feel Erwin sniffing at his neck, his breath ghosting over his overheated skin like an ice cold breeze, but the relief was short lived, in comparison to his seized up cramping muscles.

Levi whimpered involuntarily, trying to roll away with the last ounce of energy he could muster.

An alpha finding hurt or damaged scent glands on an omega could be the lead to any kind of disaster. Levi didn't want Erwin to find out that the bear of a man had the potential to crush his bones into dust, if he lost his marbles.

Of course Erwin wasn't so easily fooled, moving closer again, hypnotized by Levi's involuntarily presented neck.

The omega wanted to tell him no, to back off, maybe give him a soft blanket to roll up in, but any words that might have come to mind, got stuck on the tip of his tongue, inaudible.

The longer Erwin spent hovering over his neck, the more anxious Levi's frazzled nerves got.

The ringing of a phone finally breaks the spell, even if only temporarily. Levi's scattered attention could make sense of it, but it was an overwhelming feeling, to feel his limbs unlock, as the alphas gaze looked away for a moment.

Nuzzling the omegas neck, Erwins was an alpha on a mission, searching for the slightest swell beneath the milky skin, indicating the presence of scent glands. Every omega was different and the location could vary a bit depending on the individual. Feeling he was close to his destination, the alpha licked his lips in preparation to remove the offending scent canceller. The sudden ring of a phone threw Erwin out of his mindless haze, looking up to the phone, the alpha just barely noticed the beginning of a swell at the omegas neck, looking angry red – unusually so as if badly infected. When the phone rang another time, Erwin shuffled to get up.

“Stay right where you are!” commanded Erwin subconsciously in his stern alpha voice, his primal side annoyed that he had to get away from a potential mate. Making his way to the still ringing phone – ‘persistent’ Erwin thought ‘it must be urgent’ – Erwin looked back at the shivering omega on the ground. 

This was the perfect opportunity for the little omega – Levi – Erwin corrected himself, his mind becoming clearer and more focused again with every step away from the other. Half expecting Levi to suddenly find strength again and making a run for it, Erwin was surprised to find the omega still laying on the ground. With a sigh he reached for the phone.

“Smith speaking.” he said in his usual neutral, but not unfriendly tone, he always used while answering his phone. Professional enough for work, not too unfriendly for private business.

“Heeeeey eyebrows, what took you so long, did I interrupt something?” a cheery voice attacked Erwins ear and he had to hold the phone away for a bit, before attempting to answer. Hanji. Of course. His eyes wandering to Levi on the ground. It would have been satisfying to rub it in his friends face, that he had been right all along, but considering his own behavior, Erwin decided to save that for later – possibly never – too ashamed of his lack of control.

“Indeed you did. I was finally trying to get some rest.” Erwin lied through his teeth instead “That’s not why you called, so what’s the matter, Hanji, I would like to get some sleep tonight, we have an important meeting tomorrow.”

“Well, actually… about the meeting. I texted you multiple times, but you didn’t respond or even read my messages and I decided to tell you in person and save you from wasting your oh so precious time. Pixis called in sick, probably diarrhea or something, anyway. We can’t do the meeting without him. So they postponed it until next Monday. Since the meeting should have been all day, we have the day off, isn’t that amazing! Congratulations to your long weekend. And now back to bed – please don’t just sleep on the couch again – I couldn’t live with myself if your eyebrows would die out, because you haven’t had enough of your beauty sleep. Good night!” 

Erwin was barely to wish them a good night as well, seeing as Hanji had already hung up, probably on their way to annoy the hell out of Moblit, with whom they shared an apartment.

When the alpha turned around, his eyes fell to the small man still laying on the floor, now crouched in a fetal position, hands clutched protectively over his neck, as if he was afraid, that the alpha would come back and pounce on him, the minute he finished the phone call. He must have used his alpha voice on him again, it occurred to Erwin. Carefully he kept his distance from the omega, watching him from afar. Still no movement aside from shivering. Was he still afraid? Or was he getting cold? 

Not knowing if it was a good idea, but guided by the urge to protect a hurt omega, he got the throw from the couch. Stealing his resolve and checking his self-control, Erwin slowly approached Levi - who immediately let out a distressed whine – and gently put the soft beige material over the small body, covering him completely.

“The floor must be uncomfortable. I carry you to the couch, so you can rest.” Erwin informed the omega, to not frighten him more than necessary. Slowly he wrapped the throw around the delicate body, before scooping him up and carrying him to the living room. After eyeing the exposed scent gland, still reddened and looking weird – he hasn’t seen anything like this before – Erwin made sure to keep his gaze locked on his surroundings. ‘Was that me? Did I really push down this heavily on his neck?’ it crossed his mind and the alpha felt a pang of horror. ‘No, there was no blood, it looked like it has been open before, maybe infected.” he thought to himself, wondering what the hell happened to the omega in his life. Putting the omega down on the couch, Erwin took a seat next to him.

“You just missed the perfect opportunity to escape.” Erwin remarked dryly, patting Levi, who was wrapped up in the throw, like an angry, exhausted sushi roll, barely holding his eyes open.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We wanted to generally thank everyone so far, who left Kudos, comments, bookmarks and subscriptions. We never would have guessed to get such a ressonance. Promise, we are soaking up every word! Lot's of love back to every single one of you.  
On another note: Please, once again, mind the tags! The content of this chapter might be troublesome to some people.
> 
> Other than that here is a little Spoiler: We currently passed the 150k word count mark, so just in case you were wondering, how long this party is going to be. There's still a lot to go... Please enjoy the read.

Levi blearily registered that indeed he had missed his chance. But the blanket was actually way too nice to roll up in, safely away from prying hands or lips, after Erwin's alpha voice had yet again, scared the shit out of his already toasted brain. He didn't even mind the alpha sitting close by and petting his hair, it actually helped him drift off into sleep and felt kind of nice to be cared about for once. Rough fingertips tickling his scalp. 

He wouldn't have to worry about anything, if this turned out to be a stupid nightmare, a way too realistic one at that, but not necessarily, that different to the usual demons, that haunted his sleep deprived brain, whenever he actually got some shut eye.

He buried his nose in the thick material, filled to the brim with Erwin's scent, that wasn't hostile or angry, but more like a big cloud with a combination of pine trees and old books, whispering stories about centuries long passed and relaxed evenings with a glass of red wine. 

He would deal with the situation after his nap. He hadn't had something decent to sleep on in ages, even if the couch was probably not the comfiest place in the entire condo, it was already heaven to him.

He just prayed he wouldn't wake up bonded, even if a corner of his brain actually would have enjoyed this thought, if even just a little. 

He was used to fleeting thoughts like this, especially in heat he could end up functioning on pure instinct alone, but he tried not to linger on it.

It was normal for omegas to seek out their mate, to want pups, to want to be breed and knotted for hours, when the sex crazed part of their consciousness was taking the wheel.

But thoughts didn't have to equal actions.

He wouldn't make for a good housewife, he was terrible with kids of all ages. He never had finished high school or went to university. The only degree he had to hold up, was that one of a thief, not even police had caught. 

He had been living in the shadows for all of his young 28 years, barely had a grant to his name and even the little money he called his own, wasn't freely available at all times. 

Thanks to a certain Nile Dawk, who had fucked him over and kept his small savings on lock down, in some unknown account overseas. Too bad there wasn't anything worth while to steal from the bastard. But if Levi ever wanted to kill a person, just for the joy of actually killing them and riding the world of a problem at the same time, he so would have gone after Nile.

The only good thing that came out of stalking Dawk had been discovering Erwin and his precious map. 

Levi's sleep was a little restless, since his body temperature kept rising, rolled up inside his blanket burrito. Low mewls and pants making him roll around and tangled his limbs up even more. 

When Levi woke up again, for what felt like less than 30 minutes later, he found himself on his back, Erwin's face hovering over him with intense blue eyes and one hand resting on his damp cheek, as if he hadn't left his side for even a second. 

It took him awhile to realize where he was, who was with him and why he even was in this position in the first place. His mind felt all foggy and confused, so the first thing out of his mouth was a desperate whine of: "Alpha!" which in turn lit up the ocean eyes, looking down on him. Levi wanted to reach out, felt the need to be close, but his arms and the rest of his body felt too heavy to move, chained down by the beige fabric of the throw he was tangled up in.

Levi had barely fallen asleep next to him when he started shifting and struggling beneath the thick material of the throw, apparently having a nightmare. Erwin shuffled away for a moment, seeing if it was his presence that disrupted the omegas sleep. Instead he heard panicked whining, so Erwin got closer again, looming over the other to check up on him. Panting and mumbling the smaller male seemed to overheat under the throw. Almost feverish, he muttered words and names incoherently. Erwin had to get closer, climbing on top of the omega, careful not to crush him again, to actually understand what Levi was saying. “Nile” over and over again, interrupted by “why” and occasionally an unfamiliar name “Kenny”.

Hearing the name whimpered in deep hurt, as if the other actually betrayed his trust, took Erwin by surprise. He had to investigate, if his former friend really was a clean cut of an exemplary alpha, like he wanted everyone to believe. And first of all how did Levi even know Nile? Little tears, this time honest tears – Erwin was sure of it – escaped the dark lashes, running down rosy cheeks. Instinctively Erwin lifted his hand to catch the tears, stroking them away gently, crooning to calm the omega in his sleep. Apparently this had the opposite effect, since the omega was starting to wake up, blinking his eyes, seeming completely disoriented. What came next took Erwin by complete surprise. A desperate cry for an alpha – him to be precise – was the last thing he expected. Seeing the little omega – he doubted that there was much of the actual Levi left - trying to reach out for him so pitifully, his inner alpha howled at him to take, claim and mate. Pulling himself together Erwin stared down at the gray eyes, shining desperate with longing, looking almost feverish and hungry.

“Alpha please, I’ll be good. Please let me be good for you.” the omega whimpered, getting consumed by the beginning of his heat. Erwin felt his chest tighten at the exclamation, longing to succumb to his desires. First kissing away the tears, then leaning down to brush his lips down the jawline of the omega - imagining to plant little kisses down his neck, sucking purple marks and breaking his skin - the alpha hesitated. Looking down at the omega, arms and legs still caging the smaller, his eyes fixated on the small neck, boring into the hint of a red swell peeking out. Erwin growled in disapproval, wanting to finally smell the sweet scent again.

Levi's eyes widened at the low primal growl, clawing its way out of the depth of Erwin's chest, laced with thick disapproval. He wanted to be good, he might have even said something like that, trying to appeal to the strong alpha above. 

But it obviously wasn't the right thing to say, he didn't even want to be claimed, his muddled head couldn't make sense and decided to take a seat on the sidelines, giving up on his meek attempts to reason with his instincts, as he let his inner omega run wild, with the implications.

Erwin didn't like him like that, he was simply just holding him captive, caged in by his big frame, to keep him from escaping his fate. He didn't deserve to be knotted by someone so pure and soil him with his own ill implications. 

While his omega struggled to press closer to Erwin's body, he tried to hide his neck against the big chest, appearing to want to push Erwin away, who took a step back, to make room for him. 

Levi was too much driven by his impending heat to be rational. Erwin stepping back was like a slap to his face, making him curl up again in rejection and putting his hands over his neck, to keep his scent from penetrating the room.

He shouldn't be going into heat now, wasn't due for another 7 days, but his body most certainly had other plans. 

"No!" he whined breathlessly, as the first cramps made him flinch and curl up tighter. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even bring his benzo pen loaded with suppressants, he had stolen in the pharmacy the last week, to help starve of the heat for a few hours. 

He tried to roll off the couch, still huddled up in the throw, afraid to get the couch dirty with his impending doom. 

His ass already felt wet underneath the ridiculous dress he was still wearing and Erwin just growled at him something fierce, a strong hand trying to grab for him.

Levi tried to block him off, squirming in place to avoid him. 

It didn't make sense why Erwin would want to touch him. He wasn't good enough for an alpha this strong. An alpha, he had pissed off an hour earlier on top of all that.

He kept chanting "No." Not sure if the words actually made it past his lips, not even sure, if he meant Erwin to stay away, or his own head to shut the fuck up. The heat was burning his synapses, boiling his blood and making him sweat. Everything felt kind of shaky and muddled, except for the alpha's angry scent spiking around him.

He sure was mad about the mess Levi was making and being at the same time.

Anger flooded him as the omega put his hands over his neck, protecting his scent glands and struggled to get away. 

"No, no, no, no!" the little man chanted frantically, trying to roll off the couch. Captured in the throw he didn't come far. 

'So his omega dared to deny him!' his inner alpha snarled. 

As Levi tried to roll off the couch, Erwin had nothing of it and caught the smaller man by the waist, ripped away the throw and tossed it on the ground carelessly, before bringing their bodies close together again. Fueled with anger at the denial and the need to assert his dominance over the little omega.

"You dare tell me no, denying yourself?"

Pressing himself firmly against the omegas backside. 

The ripe smell of slick seeping through the material of the underwear, had the alphas cock painfully hard in the confines of his trousers and throbbing with need.

"No, no, no!" the chanting continued. "Not good enough for alpha." the omega cried.

Holding the struggling omega down, Erwin tore away the scarf, revealing an angry red scent gland, fucked up with chemicals. Suddenly very angry, that the omega had done this to himself - intentionally or not- he started to nose around the gland again, growling, as he still found no smell. Instinctively Erwin started licking long stripes along the omegas neck, tongue tasting bitter, due to the remains of scent canceller. Finally getting a whiff of the sweet scent, the alpha so longed for, he intensified his efforts to remove the offending chemical. With every layer of alpha spit, the furious red tone lessened, healing the formerly damaged glands. 

Content with his work, the alpha growled approvingly, eying the now healthy swell of the omegas neck.

"Alpha?" Levi whimpered, feeling that something must have changed. 

"You are mine. Don't you dare deny me!" snarled the alpha, as his fingers wandered to remove the dress.

Levi was thrown for a loop, as Erwin's behaviour changed all of a sudden. The feeling of the alpha's warm tongue lapping at his scent gland, was making him hard as nails within minutes, taking away the stinging pain with every swipe. The feeling, leaving Levi dizzy with need, so much so, that he didn't even worry about his scarf. 

He had never been with an alpha during his heat, too scared to get knotted and end up pregnant. Just the pure imagination of the size of an alpha's knot made fear fueled sweat break out all over his skin. There was no way something this big would fit into him.

Sure Erwin was simply intoxicated by his pheromones driving him nuts, there was no way he actually wanted to mate with someone like Levi. A lower class, uneducated omega, living in a dump of a house, robbing people for a living.

Levi tried to squirm away from the broad chest, pressing into his shoulder blades and searching hands, until the asshole used his alpha voice on him.

His knees knocked together, as his body responded to the command, freezing up into place, allowing Erwin free reign.

Humiliation settled deep into his gut, as his body betrayed him, he couldn't help it but felt scared.

A mewl tore from his throat, as Erwin slipped the top of the dress down, bunching the rest up around his waist, to deal with later.

"Mine!" The hiss was like gasoline to his overheating body, making Levi gush slick into his underwear at an alarming rate.

"Nah... yours." He tried to deny the strong alpha, yet again, which in turn only made Erwin angrier. His grip intensiving, surely leaving bruises behind. Even if every movement, not approved by the alpha at his back, pained him, Levi tried fruitlessly to move away and scratch the alpha's arm, or just about anything would do right now. The bulge rubbing against his backside making him pant for air.

He didn't want Erwin to take him.

Yet, his inner omega was purring at the fact to finally get fucked and claimed within an inch of his life, almost begging for it. 

"Alpha, please!" Levi tried to appeal to him. "Please, please, please!"

The alpha pressed his loins against the omegas backside, hard cock pressed against the perfect little ass, rutting directly over the hole, only covered with white underwear turning transparent soaked with slick. If his mind would have been any clearer, Erwin might have even appreciated the cute little ribbons at the hem of the innocent appearing garment. Instead his mind was clouded with rage and lust. The omega was still denying him, trying to get away. Having enough of his struggles, he reached for Levi’s wrists pinning them above his head. Said head flew up. Looking at his captured wrists, the omega whined and wiggled to get away, not realizing that he effectively rubbed his little ass against the alpha, earning a deep groan. Then Erwin captured both of the comparable tiny appearing wrists in one hand, so he could use his other hand to further molest the omega. 

It started with stroking the omegas cheek, suddenly grabbing his chin and wandering down his throat, pressing down slightly on his windpipe as a warning, before wandering down ever lower, finding one of the perky small rose buds. The alpha played with it for a while, stroking around it softly, occasionally pinching it, before stroking it again, until the soft bud hardened to a stiff peak, enjoying the omega’s reactions. Levi’s mewling and soft gasps like music to his ears. Then the hand slid slowly to the omegas flat stomach. Fingers spread over the omegas abdomen, Erwin pulled the omegas lower half up, while he pushed the upper half down with his other hand now firmly placed on the upper back, forcing the omega in the position to present like a bitch with his hips kant upwards, bowing his back. 

“Submit to me!” he growled, lifting his body up a bit, to stare down at the omega. Levi turned his head, trying to look up to the commanding alpha above him. Gray eyes burning with defiance and fever, need and shame. Finally bowing his head, watching away, fingers clutching air, Levi stayed still aside from small shivers running through him.

“Alpha please.” he cried, barely audible, but loud enough for the taller male towering over him to hear. 

That scared tone, made the alpha inside Erwin howl at him to finally take him, rip away the rest of the offending dress, pull down his underwear and finally push inside the warm welcoming heat. Blue eyes falling to the soaked underwear, he could even see the outlines of the tiny hole, steadily leaking slick and clenching around air. The urge to press him down again and just take him, became overwhelming, his instinct wanting him to mate and knot the pretty little thing beneath him, breeding him and filling him up. 

Erwin’s breathing picked up again, pupils blown wide, as his gaze followed a whole drop seeping out of the hole, wetting the damp material even further. With one final push of his hand against his stomach, he made sure that the omega was in place, fingers barely grazing the omegas little cock – the alpha’s voice rumbled in content, as he felt the omegas obvious enjoyment hard against his fingertips, a feeling of success and power soaring through him. Then his hand wandered again, hindered slightly by the ruffled material of the dress. Erwin made the mental note to finally discard the omega of his clothing soon. Reaching their destination, his fingers brushed over the slick soaked material of the underwear, he could feel the wetness on his fingers driving him insane. The sheer amount of slick went straight to his own arousal, overwhelming him. Erwin had never had the pleasure to take an omega in heat – since they were rare and mating in heat implied a bond of deep trust – or an arranged marriage – so the alpha usually stuck to betas, or even one time an omega outside of her heat, never leading to a mating bond or even serious dating. 

“Mine!” he growled again, fingers reaching for the hem of the underwear, well on his way to pull it down.

The moment Erwin rendered his hands immobile, Levi felt a part of himself shattering like a porcelain bowl hitting hardwood flooring. He had no option, but to admit defeat and submit to the alpha towering over him. The once fascinating blue eyes were now blown wide with lust, that only a string of ocean blue remained. 

His heat overriding his personal need for safety, openly presenting himself to the alpha to take. Erwin's hands felt heavy on his small frame, like a punishing weight keeping him locked in place. 

His eyes watered further in shame, as the alpha tore his underwear in half and roughly exposed the rest of his body, by ripping the dress down his legs, to discard somewhere on the floor, leaving Levi completely bare.

He could feel the small draft from the AC licking at his overheating flesh and all but keened, at the wide hand grazing his cock in passing, as Erwin took hold of his cheeks, fingers digging into the remaining muscle to spread him open.

The blond head dipping down in front of him, had him gasping. Even though he could have used his hands to push the alpha away, all fight had left his exhausted body, so he surrendered to his fate.

He kept his hands up on the throw pillow, as the alpha took a dive down his middle, sending his brain into a frenzy, at the sensations of a prodding hot tongue lapping at his skinny thighs, nosing higher up to his dripping hole for a taste.

Levi couldn't help, but shout at the overwhelming need to feel the alpha entering his body, to take care of the raging heat boiling in his guts and veins. To starve off the sharp cramps in his tummy, that blinded him from any other sensations.

All he could feel was the alpha around him, tending to him, his pheromones and rough scratchy voice demanding all of the little attention, Levi had left to give.

His body kept shaking under Erwin's firm hands, exploring every crease and cranny of his body in lazy intervals, before returning to spread him even wider and open. The strong shoulders taking up residence between his spread legs, pressed up tightly to his protruding rib cage, almost bending him in half in the process.

Erwin was by no means a pro at eating out ass, but the omega quivered under the onslaught of feelings, keening and mewling and gasping in turns. He needed more, his body craving to be filled, gushing more slick in order to get the alpha to move on.

Levi was hardly conscious enough to notice, all strung up high in the shocks of pleasure igniting his body. In the back of his mind he was still scared and anxious, afraid to be knotted, but his desire to be filled and fucked thoroughly, was taking the wheel by now.

"Alpha!" Levi all but warbled, unable to voice what he needed, as Erwin easily manhandled him to turn around, still spread out like a buffet, but with his back to the alpha, his hands were pressed back up for emphasizes to hold them there, his knees, the only thing actually keeping the quivering form up.

The sweet tangy taste of slick engulfed Erwins tongue, as he licked around the little entrance, tongue delving inside every now and then. More and more slick leaked out, the arousal of the omega going straight to his groin, throbbing with need. 

Starting to overheat, the alpha realized he was still fully clothed, the material of his suit sticking uncomfortably against his sweaty skin underneath. So he stopped his ministrations, giving the omega a short break, while discarding his own clothing in a hurry, filled with the burning desire to feel the omega’s skin against his own. Not bothered at all by the intense gaze Levi threw over his shoulder, following his every movement, from the broad chest, down to the toned stomach, until finally resting on the impressive hard manhood nestled beneath golden curls. Seeing the clouded gray eyes widen, Erwin couldn’t hide a small smirk. The alpha made sure the omega was watching him closely, as he took his cock in his large hand and stroked it twice – slowly, looking Levi directly in the eye – before leaning forward again.

Hovering over the smaller frame, he pressed wet kisses on the pale skin, starting on his backside and trailing upwards the spine, only interrupted by little licks and gentle bites, teeth grazing the skin, teasing the omega. Supported on his left arm next to Levi’s shoulder, caging him in between himself and the back of the couch, Erwin let his right hand wander, caressing the right thigh gently before wandering higher back to the neglected little hole.

Slick has accumulated around it, glistening invitingly and the alpha had to gather the last bit of his shattered self-control, to not indulge in eating him out further more. Instead his finger circled the puckered hole, gathering some slick and then pushed in surprisingly gentle, as if in awe at the wetness coating his finger. Going slow, the alpha indulged in the feeling of the warm wet walls surrounding his finger. He breathed heavily against the omega’s ear, almost panting, as he imagined pushing inside the tight hole, impaling the tiny omega on his massive cock and finally stretching him wide open. 

Amazed by the clenching heat around him - adding a second finger and watching Levi’s reactions closely – Erwin couldn’t yet fathom, how his knot was supposed to fit inside, since he was big even for an alpha, but his little pang of worry was quickly drowned out by needy whimpers.

As Erwin scissored his fingers and the omega rutted back against him desperately, keening loudly, begging to be filled with more, he couldn’t take it anymore. Pulling out his two digits completely and gathering as much slick as possible, the alpha used the natural wetness to coat his cock. Then he used his hand to guide himself to the empty hole, his tip teasing along the crack, before catching on the rim. Overwhelmed with anticipation to finally claim his mate and make the omega feel for days, to whom he belonged, filling him with his cum and breeding him up, a hungry growl left the alpha. Without any further warning he thrust in completely in one swift motion – hard – a blood curdling scream echoing through the room.

All the air left the omega's lungs in a rush, as the blond giant speared him wide open on his thick cock, without mercy. Erwin's fingers had actually eased his discomfort, fitting snugly in his desperate hole, making him rut up against the provided hand. Two had been a tight fit, but pleasure had still kindled Levi's burning flame of heat, but now it felt more like someone was ripping his insides in half. 

Levi's feet kicked out blindly, without finding purchase, his entire body seizing at the harsh intrusion, throat raw from screeching. He couldn't comprehend how this was supposed to be pleasurable. It surely would break his bones.

Erwin remained still, fully fit into the hilt, while the omega's hole clenched desperately around his girth, trying to accommodate. Levi blindly threw his hands up, colliding with the alpha's sturdy broad chest, nails digging in and leaving red stinging scratches behind, as the pain raged through his insides, while his inner omega kept whimpering seducingly, feet locking around the alpha's pelvis, squeezing his small thighs in an attempt to keep him from moving.

But Erwin's patience was already a thin thread, a growl bouncing off the living room walls, as he snapped his hips back, almost pulling all the way out, before diving right back inside with a sharp thrust. Levi's keen stuttering out of his torn throat on a gush of air. 

The omega kept shaking his head, involuntarily spurring the alpha on, but his tangled up thoughts wouldn't clear and allow a minute of realisation, instead he found himself still begging, hands trying to push blindly behind himself, to push the alpha away, legs drawing him in further. It didn't make sense, he couldn't understand. Too ashamed by his own body's reaction. Erwin's pace was rough, demanding, almost bordering on violent, barely leaving enough room to breathe in between the sounds pouring from Levi's lips. He tried to wriggle away, or find a more comfortable position, other than almost bending over the arrest of the couch by now, but Erwin wasn't having any of it. Paws pressing firmly into pale skin and the couch, as he kept pistoning in and out of the wet alluring heat, tilting Levi's hips up further for a better angle to dive deeper, making the omega bow his back in an almost unnatural angle.

White light struck Levi's vision on the next heavy thrust, as a feeling he never felt before exploded inside him, making his head go dizzy, arms shaking, jaw becoming slack and leaving drool to drip out of the corners of his mouth.

Tight heat threw Erwin’s head in a tailspin, as he thrusted in hard, holding the omega’s bony hips for better leverage. Fingers bruising the soft skin, leaving red imprints, as the smaller cried for more and for mercy at the same time. It was a tough fit, but the alpha felt far too good to stop now, instead using his heavier body type to his advantage. The small hands tried to claw at his wide chest, little sharp nails scratched at his pecs as Levi tried to push him away, although pulling him closer with his legs regardless of his obvious discomfort at the sudden intrusion, as he pushed him further over the armrest of the couch. Confused at the contradicting behavior and fueled to make the little one submit, the alpha started to roll his hips finding a different angle to delve even deeper. Suddenly the omega keened, as his body stilled in total enrapture. Mouth open and drooling, he couldn’t have been more beautiful to the tall blond. Spurred on, Erwin intensified his efforts, aiming to hit the spot again and again, pounding into the omega, like the alpha he was. Slick was gushing around his cock, as it pistoned in and out of the abused hole, filling the room with lewd squelching, accompanied by deep grunting and pitiful mewls. 

He felt so good. Never felt so good in his life before. Everything else than Levi felt meaningless to him. The only thing important was the whining omega beneath him, now pulling him closer, hips rising to trust back and meet the strong thrusts of the alpha. All of a sudden the omega cried out, little fingers clawing at the alphas forearms for purchase, hips spasming wildly, as his little cock spurted sticky liquid onto the couch beneath them and even some on his stomach. The tight squeeze around his cock pressed the air out of Erwins lungs.

Clenching heat tried to milk him, for what he was worth, as the alpha fucked him through his orgasm. Erwin swiftly turned him around, still spread around his grit, before continuing his onslaught, chasing his own relief, he wanted to be even closer to the omega. Leaning in close, blue eyes fixating gray, he caught the lips of the smaller in a sloppy kiss, drowning out the overstimulated whimpers. More tongue than lips, he plundered the mouth passionately, as his hands flew up to cup the others face. After they’d gotten out of breath, Erwin broke the kiss, mouth trailing down, as he started to nose the delicate neck again. 

“Mine!” he grunted. 

“Mine to take!” Thrust.

“Mine to fuck!” Thrust. 

“Mine to breed!” Thrust. He was getting close, feeling a tight pull in his loins. 

“You will look so good all bred up, full of pups. I’ll fuck a whole litter inside of you.” Lost in his haze and completely driven by instinct, the alpha hammered away inside the fragile body beneath him, groaning heavily. As his knot started to swell, tearing the little omega, the alpha pushed inside one last time, as hard he could, knot finally locking in place, binding them together. At the same time his head launched forward, teeth biting down on the omega’s neck without mercy, breaking skin and leaving his mark perfectly on the scent glands of the omega, claiming this omega – Levi, his Levi – as his own. 

Erwin grinded his hips in short sharp thrusts, emptying his cum completely deep inside the abused hole. Holding the omega, as close as possible, hips flush together and not able – not wanting - to move away, the alphas head cleared slowly. The desire to mate and breed now satisfied – for the moment – he tried to comprehend what just happened. His Levi. And nothing has ever felt so right to him before.

The pleasure of his prostate being fucked to heaven and back, engulfed his entire being, leaving him a babbling, drooling mess in the sheets, all pain of being taken so roughly blinded out, as waves of pleasure overtook his senses, making fireworks erupt in his vision. The knot tearing him didn't register, until the deed was done. Levi couldn't get away from the knot, even if he tried. 

The moment Erwin's teeth had sunken into his scent gland, he had cum again, reality passing him by, as the alpha's emotions poured into him, in a tidal wave on top of his euphoria of relief. There was primal pride, happiness and possession echoing through his heart, followed by brief flashing images of the alpha's life up until now, running through his heat muddled brain.

He could feel something tender too, but wasn't able to name it. His body too occupied to gather air and mind too torn from reality, to fully comprehend, that he had just been claimed.

As the sweat started to cool stickily on his skin, and his heat dimmed for the moment, the pain roared its ugly head again, making him feel stuffed to the brim with the alpha's knot, ass and hips aching, legs tired and muscles lax, but starting to cramp from overexhaustion and the position he was still stuck in. 

The only way to break the bond, would be to rip out the knot, but he had no energy to even attempt something like this, left alone the agony that would follow such an action.

Erwin was crooning softly, a heavy weight pressing on his small ribcage, arms not leaving an inch of the omega's body untouched. 

"Mine, all mine!" He crooned, nosing the bonding mark, which in turn made Levi flinch, as well as sigh, as another wave of emotions, that were clearly not his own overwhelmed him.

He was worried, what the alpha might feel in return. 

Levi didn't need to bite him back, unless he wanted to for personal reasons. He was an open book to the tall blonde man now. All his secrets uncovered, emotions laid out raw. 

Even if he lied, Erwin would know better instantly.

The croon helped ease some of his discomfort, but he knew it wasn't over yet. He rested his eyes, while he still could, surrendering himself to the new situation. He could feel Erwin throbbing inside of him every now and again, his skin still flushed with heat. The alarm bells ringing, that the alpha hadn't used any protection, while Levi couldn't afford birth control, where shoved to the back of his mind, to fret over after his heat - given he would even remember that detail by then- , as he turned his nose into the alpha's strong neck and dozed off for a few moments. Body sated and exhausted, soon enough he would crave more, even if he himself wasn't sure, he could handle another session like that.

He came here to steal a map, but ended up having his heart and soul stolen instead, how fucking ironic.

Erwin could feel the emotions tumbling upside down in his mate, changing swiftly, short peaks of panic and discomfort catching his attention. Instinctively he responded with soft crooning to calm his omega down, actually relieved, that the omega slowly drifted into sleep. As Levi dozed off, completely drained, Erwin allowed himself to rest his eyes, focusing on the warm body beneath him. Sated and exhausted, he rolled them onto their sides, not wanting to crush the omega in his arms. His knot would go down in approximately thirty minutes, locking them together for the time being and making sure not a single drop of his potent seed escaped. The alphas hand wandered down the omegas front, wide palm pressing down on the protruding stomach stuffed full with cum. The thought of a child briefly crossed his mind, but didn’t stick for long. He never seriously considered settling down, finding a mate and creating family with them. ‘Mother’, father, child, the real deal, everyone else had been going crazy about, around him. Except Erwin himself, not quite getting the appeal. 

Opening his eyes lazily and taking in the sight of his sleeping mate in his arms, snoring softly, he started to understand the longing to build a home with a special someone. The fact that the special someone lying next to him, was not only a complete stranger, but a thief that broke into his apartment not even two hours ago, almost forgotten, overrun by the insane chemistry they had together, instantly since his pheromones triggered the omegas heat early - And the omega apparently triggering his rut. -

Truth be told, Erwin couldn’t care less about the circumstances of their meeting. The important point was that they met at all, finding each other despite all the differences. Now he would take good care of his omega, able to provide for him, like he would have deserved it his whole life. Not intending to ever let the omega – his mate – go.

As his limp cock slipped out, followed by blood and semen, Erwin noticed that he must have torn his much smaller partner. Although he felt bad for hurting him, the possessive side of his alpha nature howled in excitement, at obviously being the first to actually knot Levi. His cock twitched at the thought, that he would also be the last to be this close with the omega, that no one else would get to know the lithe body in such an intimate way. Erwin struggled to keep his breathing in check, as a new wave of arousal scorched through him. Smiling to himself, he planted a kiss on the bonding mark gracing the delicate neck, before he closed his eyes, waiting for the omega to wake up again.


	4. Chapter 4

Levi's nap took longer than usual, Erwin really must have done a number on him, given he usually had only 15 minutes breaks, during his usual heats. But nothing was as usual this time around. The smell of sex was hanging heavy in the room like a blanket, it should have scared him, considering he could already feel Erwin's hard member poking into his thigh. The alpha was still clearly interested in serving him.

Erwin! 

A rush of emotions overwhelmed him, as his hand reached up to finger the bonding mark on his neck. It actually hadn't been a dream. 

He should have known, since his heart was already racing, preparing to heat him up and throw him back under the bus. He still felt so full, despite his hole being empty and pretty loose, as well as painful. The blond was resting next to him and after a quick peak Levi pressed his eyes shut again.

What had he done? 

He should be running for the hills, but instead he accepted the strong arm caging him in against the wide firm chest. 

Levi never had a home, so thinking of Erwin as his home now, was a pretty weird feeling, but that's what his omega kept purring. His throat was still raw and a fucking desert on top of it, but before he could wiggle out to quench his thirst, a bottle of water was already pressed into his hand. Erwin, obviously not as asleep, as he had thought him to be. If anything he probably had had plenty of time to prepare for him - the sleeping beauty - to wake up again. A small blossom of warmth erupted in his gut at the gesture. He wasn't a heavy eater, not even in heat, too used to the stomach pains of hunger. The thirst was way worse though.

The fire in his veins was already rising, but Levi had so many questions, he couldn't just succumb to desire yet again. A distressed sound left his lips, as he took another sip, Erwin's palm resting heavy on his thigh, drawing lazy comforting circles.

He wanted a shower desperately, even if he would end up dirty again in the next sixty minutes. But he didn't know Erwin, didn't know his place yet. Could he simply demand the alpha to do as he pleased?

Levi had never had a love interest or relationship of that kind. He knew what he would have done. But it felt out of place now. He couldn't just bark orders at Erwin.

If he really didn't want the bond, he should have gotten off his knot in the speed of lightning, instead of falling asleep like a damsel.

He didn't dare speak up, swallowing his doubts and insecurities, until his eyes teared up and kept gnawing at the seam of his lips anxiously, until he tasted cooper.

"You think too much." Erwin crooned, his thumb gently pressing into Levi's forehead to smooth out the creases. Levi blinked at him stupidly, getting lost in the blue ocean eyes, as their gazes interlocked. It still felt so unreal, his fingers pressing on the bonding mark again, that had already started to scar. It would always serve as a reminder of who he belonged to. Trapped by an angel with flax golden hair and deep eyes like the sea.

“Just tell me what you want” the alpha added, sensing the hesitation and insecurity towards him. 

Still silent, Levi continued gnawing his already bleeding lower lip. Erwin leaned forward to stop him, catching the soft mouth in a gentle kiss, soothing the fresh wound. Hands started wandering again, his fingers grazing over wet skin sticky with sweat. Noticing the omega’s increasing discomfort, Erwin stopped his advances, trying to focus on whatever might bother his mate. Instead the sensation of cum and blood drying slowly on his pubic hair and lower stomach sent another twinge of arousal through his body, but also an unfamiliar sense of disgust, at the filth they are covered in. Maybe this was due to the recent mating? Although Levi appeared to be poor and malnourished, he seemed to value cleanliness to a high degree. 

Searching the gray eyes again, he came to the conclusion that he could wait forever for an answer, since the omega was still totally enraptured, fingers running over the bonding mark again and again, as if he couldn’t comprehend his new reality. Gray eyes staring at him widened in wonder, at the alpha before him. 

“How about we get you all nice and cleaned up?” Feeling a small nod against his shoulder, Erwin cradled Levi in his arms, before standing up and carrying him to the bathroom. He felt slim legs wrapping around his waist and skinny arms clinging around his shoulders. Standing in front of the big bathing tub, Erwin wanted to shrug him off, because he needed his arms free to reach the water tab, but when he felt a little nose nuzzling his own neck, his heart melted at the omega’s refusal to be set down. 

“Hold on to me.” he warned, before shifting Levis weight onto one arm, which wasn’t much of a feat, since the omega was light as a feather, before he leaned forward to let warm water in the tub. Levi watched the water pouring in, like it came straight from heaven.

“Now you need to let go of me and get in the tub.” Erwin instructed patiently, since Levi’s mind seemed to still be overwhelmed, but received no reaction. 

With a sigh he pried the omega’s hands off of him and set the little one down. Reaching for his shower gel and shampoo, Erwin knelt down next to the tub and started to wash his omega, rinsing off the sweat and blood in a calm manner, despite ignoring his own building arousal. When finished, Erwin reached for an enormous fluffy towel, to dry his mate off the moment he would step out the tub, but a small voice stopped him.

“You’re fucking filthy, too.” Levi mumbled barely audible, shuffling forward in the tub to make room behind himself.

Erwin's eyes creased at the corners, as a gentle smile spread around his lips. So the omega still had a dirty mouth. Levi watched him fold the towel and put it to the side, before the warm wide body slipped into the tub behind him, legs spreading out alongside him, caging him in.

"Maybe, we should wash your mouth out with soap, baby." the alpha teased, making him whine in protest.

Levi took the terrycloth, Erwin had abandoned, soaking it in fresh hot water from the tap, before adding shower gel and washing down Erwin's arms and legs, as far as he could reach. 

He slowly turned around, glad the tub was big enough to allow him to do so, before kneeling in front of the alpha to keep washing him, despite how tired he felt. 

Erwin let him continue, but slowly took the terry from Levi to continue himself, when the omega struggled to keep kneeling. He urged Levi to lay down on his lap, as he quickly washed the rest of himself, rinsing his hair, without getting thuds in the omega's eyes. His head cradled against strong abs, the water was slowly cooling down, but Levi felt way too content to leave. He could feel that Erwin was still hard, but refrained from touching the alpha. They'd just gotten clean. Erwin douched both of them down quickly, before sliding out first, wrapping a towel around his hips, resuming his position and offering one hand to help Levi out of the bathtub. 

Once his shaky legs reached solid tile, he was wrapped up like a burrito in the warm fluffy towel, the feeling spreading happiness all throughout his body, making him hide the big smile that was spreading his lips, as Erwin gently patted him down.

"Can you… err.."Levi stumbled over his own words in embarrassment. This needy side of himself, totally new and confusing.

"What is it?" The alpha nudged, his hip gently.

"Pick me up again… maybe…, please." He whispered, cheeks flushed in high pink. Erwin didn't hesitate, sweeping Levi off his feet instantly, cuddling the small body up against his chest, still decorated with stray droplets of water. Levi sighed contentedly, nuzzling his nose into the strong pec muscle, ear coming to rest above the alpha's heartbeat. It made his veins sizzle in summer warm comfort and a small purr slipped through his lax mouth, lips still all prettily swollen and biten raw. He hiccuped right after, his throat not used to the sound.

His heat was turning him into another mindless idiot. 

As Erwin carried him back to his master bedroom, he couldn't help the urge, but to lick a wide stripe from the alpha's nipple to his sternum, making Erwin growl and tighten his hold around slender hips. He could break him, if he so wished, crush him into dust and rise him from the ashes, to model him anew, Levi wouldn't even complain.

The alpha's smell was stronger now, then ever before, possibly a rut and Levi's hips ached to get back on that thick cock, despite all discomfort. He kept nuzzling and lapping at Erwin's chest, before roughly getting thrown on the silk sheets, cool against his damp skin, as the alpha pounced on him once more.

Levi wrapped his legs right back around the alpha's hips, feeling Erwin's erection press up next to his own small dick. He didn't even feel hard yet, but his hole was already making a slippery slope between his thighs, as he pressed his body up tightly against the alpha.

If he could, he would probably try to climb into his mate.

His mate - it sounded foreign to him, but that was his fate now and his inner omega didn't give two shits, whether or not Levi agreed. He wanted Erwin, he wanted to be bitten again, breed like the bitch in heat he was, stuffed full and suspended on his large knot, even if he couldn't possibly walk a straight line, for at least the next few weeks. 

"So needy." Erwin growled, plundering his mouth right after, making Levi keen.

Throwing the small legs over his broad shoulders and practically folding the omega’s body in half, he hovered over the omega, kissing him passionately. His cock was aligned perfectly, right between the delicious globes of that tempting ass. Erwin thrusted his hips in shallow movements, his dick sliding along the crack, teasing the omega and urging more and more whimpers out of him, just to be drowned by the blonds demanding mouth. Without further hesitation the alpha plunged back into his omega's ass, kiss breaking, as a feral growl escaped him at the feeling of the warm wetness welcoming him back. As he slid all of the fat inches of his cock into the hilt, thin arms flew up to embrace and pull him even closer. Having nothing of his mates needy behavior, Erwin grabbed the small wrists and rendered the omega completely immobile, squished into the bed, stuffed with his alpha’s cock that thrust in and out at a rapid pace. 

“Ah… fuck… fucking stupid alpha, ha!” Levi was panting and babbling, cursing like a sailor mixed with high pitched gasps, obviously not too happy with the fact, that 'knothead' won't let the omega 'fucking touch him' anymore.

“Still such a filthy mouth. I should teach you some manners.” Erwin grunted, halting his movements, which earned him a disapproving growl from his mate, that looked up defiantly, wiggling his hips to urge the alpha to continue. 

Instead Erwin let go of the tiny wrist and pulled out, bringing some distance between their bodies. Completely baffled the omega rose up onto his elbows to stare at his alpha, legs spread wide in invitation. Erwin met the gray eyes, as he knelt above Levi, thighs spread and cock standing proud and heavy between his legs. Lust cursed through him, burning him, but the need to assert his dominance over the smaller man was overbearing and he couldn’t have the other disrespect him like that. He wanted to fuck him into submission, take him like he owned every inch of his being and drill respect into him.

“Turn around. Ass up, head down like a proper bitch.” he snarled, blue eyes following intently, as the omega obeyed his command hesitantly, but obviously full of fear. 

“You will not disrespect your alpha again!” he added, giving the backside a hard smack.

“Reach behind you, spread your ass. I want to see how slick you are for me.” - and just for me – growling hungrily, as the omega obeyed again. The alpha barely saw the tears running down the reddened cheeks, before Levi mushed his head into the bedding, hiding his face. His arms reached behind him, pulling his ass cheeks apart, offering up his wet hole twitching invitingly. 

The beautiful display of absolute submission made Erwin want to reward his Levi’s good behavior. To tease the mewls and whimpers out of his mate again and feel the tight hole clenching in ecstasy around his knot, stretched to its full capacity and fucked full with his cum. Fucking him full with his knot, filling him up with his seed and breed him. 

“Such a good omega for me.” the alpha crooned, mounting his mate from behind , finally returning to his punishing pace.

Levi couldn't help the tears streaking down his face, at the humiliation of being ordered around like an object. He wasn't used to submitting to anyone, and here Erwin was, breaking him into pieces. But at the same time moans of approval bubbled up his throat, because his mate was taking care of his raging hormones, filling up the emptiness. He was a filthy bitch in heat after all. His arms easily folded under him, at Erwin's punishing pace, not able to support himself, scrappin along the bed spread, it might even leave a burn.

He hid his face in the pillow, almost suffocating himself on the fabric, not able to see Erwin, due to the position he was in, was scary. A small sliver of fear bubbling up and messing with his brain, did nothing to quench his anxious mind.

He wanted to be Erwin's, needed the alpha, needed the attention, needed to be Erwin's whole world. If he could just drown into his eyes, it would be easier. His breath stuttered in his chest, forcing him to turn his head sideways, in an attempt to gain some oxygen, but the moment he tried to peak over his shoulder at the huge blonde, a loud smack echoed through the bedroom, setting Levi's cheek on fire, followed by two more smacks, alternating in force right after. Levi howled.

"Head down. I didn't allow you to look at me." Erwin ordered, his hand suddenly back on Levi's nape again, forcing him back down into the pillow and holding him there.

The alpha was a kinky pervert after all.

More tears easily tracked down his face, at being denied such a simple thing, yet he kept moaning, as Erwin was hitting his prostate dead on, already milking Levi dry, for all he was worth. The bed was sticky underneath him with slick and precum. He wasn't even sure, if he had cum already, mind too torn up between enjoying his body being fucked 3 days from sunday and his memories messing with his brain.

If his mate would at least talk some more. Levi didn't even care if his mate would insult him, but he needed Erwin's voice of reason, needed a reminder that this was his mate. 

"Please, please!" Levi cried, not daring to actually shout. It just came out in a tiny whisper, swallowed by most of the wet fabric in front of him, where he kept drooling.

"Already begging?" Erwin snorted, little out of breath, as he kept snapping his hips.

Levi straight out wailed, at a particular punishing thrust, a little off angle, which actually hurt him, but all it did was earn him another slap, followed by Erwin's broad palm, suddenly reaching around his bowed head, to stuff two thick digits ins his mouth, tugging at the corners, muffling his noises in the process and making him drool like a faucet. He couldn't form words with Erwin's fingers stuffed into his mouth, pressing down onto his tongue. All that was heard were gurgling sounds, the wet squelching noises of slick and skin slapping against skin, as Erwin rose up to dive deeper into his mate. One big paw settled on Levi's back, forcing him to arch up even more, as the alpha drilled every single inch of cock inside the twitching abused hole. 

Levi could feel the hard core stuffing up his ass, nestling into his tight passage again and again. 

He tried to beg for Erwin to switch positions, but all it did was letting more drool escape his mouth, smearing down to his chin.

His mind was in a frenzy, with the need of relief and laying eyes on his alpha. Face a pretty shade of tomato and skin burning. Levi dared to scrap his teeth along Erwin's fingers, biting him gently, not painfully, but noticeably still breaking skin, as Erwin delivered another fierce thrust, just in that moment. He needed him to know, he needed to see him, afraid he would lose his sanity, if he was kept face down any longer. He could feel his own scent shifting already from arousal to a semi panicked state. He loathed himself for it.

‘Please alpha, please, please let me see you.’ His mind kept crying loudly.

He didn't want to ruin his own pleasure, but he could feel himself cramping up, dick suddenly losing interest, as his thoughts kept spiralling.

Erwin almost didn’t notice Levi biting his fingers. Ramming his cock over and over again into his little omega with brutal thrusts, incredibly turned on by his mates submission and the feeling of power it gave him. In his rut hazed brain, the alpha couldn’t imagine a better feeling, than holding down his bitch and fuck him, until he was well stuffed and bred full. In the throes of passion, close to his own release, he still noticed the change in his mates scent, arousal becoming panic, but with his already swelling knot, he couldn’t stop himself anymore. So he thrusted like a jackhammer, chasing his own relief, holding the omega down by the neck firmly, before shoving in his knot fully. As his cum flooded his omegas hole once more, he draped his much larger body over the body beneath him again, planting firm bites on Levi’s neck close to the bonding mark, to emphasize his claim, growling and crooning possessively. ‘Mine, mine, mine!’, it chanted in his head. 

Pulling his fingers out of Levi’s mouth, to stroke his cheek, wanting to reward him for being such a good omega for him, he noticed a little red stain of blood that followed his fingers and now graced his mates cheek.

“You bit me!” Erwin deadpanned in disbelief. Coming down from his high slowly, his gazed switched beneath his bloody fingers and Levi, who quivered and pleaded apologies in a quiet voice, obviously distressed. Straightening up again, Erwin took another good look at the few drops of blood still coating his fingers, before suddenly grabbing the omega’s black mob of hair and yanking him upwards, until his back met the alpha’s chest. His big knot throbbed at the stimulation, that came with moving inside the omega, stretching him at new angles and leaking more and more cum into him, until the usually flat belly was inflated. It was like a preview, seeing his mate already looking a little pregnant, from the amounts of cum. Focusing on the situation at hand, Erwin held out his hand directly in front of his mate, presenting his fingers for the gray eyes to see. 

“I’m sorry… alpha… didn’t mean to…” it reached the alphas ear. Despite his violence, the attention seemed to calm Levi down a little.

“If you lick them clean, you may turn around and look at me.” Erwin whispered in the other’s ear, wiggling said fingers, before his face. With only little hesitation, Levi leaned his head forward, unconsciously presenting his neck for his alpha to see, while doing so. To see the bonding mark decorated with countless smaller bites, surrounding it and sprinkled with bruises and love bites, already turning all shades of red, purple and blue, creating a beautiful contrast on the pale white skin. Another wave of arousal roared through the alpha, going from his fingers straight to his knot, when he felt the little wet tongue softly licking at the small bite, cleaning him. When the omega had finished, Erwin pressed him back down again, gently this time, stroking the small back briefly, before letting go.

“You may turn around now, but careful, mind the knot.” The alpha grinded his hips against the tight ass, to emphasize that his knot was still tied firmly into his mate and that any fast reckless movement would hurt really really bad. At least the omega. Moving slowly and carefully, looking over his shoulders, mindful to not accidentally kick his alpha, Levi rose his leg high and shuffled lightly to turn around, without the knot leaving him. Although distracted by the occasional pulling at his knot, sending mostly pleasure and also warning signals of “mate wants to tear out knot to run away”, Erwin still noticed – and automatically filed this information for later use in his brain - the incredible flexibility of his mate, who was almost doing a split, just to be able to turn around and see his alpha. Finally Levi had turned around, panting at the exhaustion and pain, that turning around on a knot this size must have caused him – Erwin felt sick to the stomach, as his eyes fell on the now exposed limp cock – his mate hasn’t been aroused at all anymore. His heart ached at the implication, that his omega was so distressed and afraid, that he would go through something this brutal, just to be able to see him.

Levi could sense a simmer of guilt from the alpha, which in turn compelled him to hide away, but he was firmly and painfully impaled on the huge knot, with nowhere to go. He didn't want to close his eyes, afraid his brain would get the better of him again. The heat in his limbs had sizzled down to a soft glow, due to his panic. 

A soft whimper tore past his bitten lips, as he tried to look at his alpha, without actually making eye contact, fixing a point above the dresser, over Erwin's right shoulder. It allowed him to still commit every feature of the alpha's face to his memory, as he kept telling himself, that this was Erwin - his mate - repeating it over and over again.

His heart was still trying to break free from his ribcage to run off, leaving bloody footprints behind. His fingers were still trembling softly on the sheets, as Erwin leaned forward slowly, caging Levi in, capturing one of his tiny wrists in his huge hand to entwine their fingers, trying to catch the omega's fleeting gaze, without disrupting the knot.

"Levi. Look at me." He crooned softly, but the omega just whimpered again softly, feeling bad to not obey his alpha's orders. He didn't know what he needed right at this moment. 

When these sort of things happened, he was usually by himself, rolled up into a ball, screaming into the void, until he fell asleep exhausted, and woke up equally exhausted, but somehow a little better afterwards. Head a little more empty than before.

"Darling. What day is it?" Erwin tried gently to distract his omega's attention, in an effort to pull him back, from whatever demons he was fighting, just realizing how little he actually knew about his omega.

What fucking day it is? Levi's face went blank at the question. Why was the alpha asking him something like this now? Now of all things. He tried to answer, he really tried, but it took him at least 2 or 3 minutes. "Fri...friday?" It was more a question, than anything. 

"Mhm. What date?" Erwin encouraged him, catching Levi's gaze for mere seconds, before the omega closed his eyes briefly.

"I… I don't know." The little omega whined, still smelling more afraid, then anything.

"It's okay. It's Friday the 28th of august, darling. Say it." He crooned, nosing the delicate neck.

Levi parrotted Erwin's words back at him, it felt weird, since he had no idea what the alpha was aiming for.

"Good boy." Erwin praised, soft fingertips settling on Levi's cheekbones, tracing, lingering, emitting warmth. Levi dared to raise an arm, to reach out for Erwin's neck. He wanted to crawl into his alpha and hide away from the world. Erwin let him, not sure what Levi was looking for. 

The omega sniffled softly, nose inhaling Erwin's heavy scent directly from the gland, overpowered by the pine note in it, before squinting his eyes shut tightly and biting into it. 

It cost him a great deal to put so much trust into the basically blonde stranger that had all but assaulted him and sealed his fate. But maybe it would help Erwin understand the things Levi couldn't say.

Suddenly Erwin was enveloped in feelings that definitively weren’t his, the moment he felt teeth breaking the skin on his neck. A sense of despair and hopelessness ran him over, grasping him and drawing him down into the black sea, that were Levi’s emotions. Anxiety and panic crushed over him, like breaking waves, wanting to tear down a ship, during a thunderstorm. But through the darkness peeked the feeling of home and protection, distantly associated with the recent mating, breaking the dark clouds like lightning, brightening his vision of the future, just before it was swallowed in darkness again. 

The future of the omega was defined by uncertainty, accompanied by doubt and questioning of what may be, if the alpha would recognize his broken soul and tire of him. Afraid that Erwin would discard him like trash, the moment he realized to what he was mated. The fear of loss and rejection pierced Erwins soul. The fear of losing and getting his trust broken again. Not able to say anything, Erwin squeezed the omegas fingers gently, wanting to show him, that he was still here and not leaving, as he raised the small hands to his lips, giving every delicate finger a small kiss, before cradling his mate against his chest, one arm wrapped around him, the other between their chests, fingers still intertwined.

He felt complete, laying this close to his mate, his knot still buried inside him, throbbing lazily, and he hoped that his newfound happiness would reach Levi too, and reassure him, that regardless whatever betrayal had occurred in his past, he didn’t need to fear, that his alpha would ever leave him behind. Even as his knot went down, Erwin didn’t dare to slip out, wanting to stay, as close as he could to his omega, that just seemed to calm down from his panic, apparently suffering from flashbacks. 

He was actually more than glad, that he accompanied Mike to a psychological training a few months ago, which Mike had insisted on, because of Nanaba. Otherwise he wouldn’t have known about the reality check. Although it bounced right back and let the fact that it was Friday night and he had to go to work on Monday sink in, sitting through the delayed meeting, probably still rutting like a starved animal. Shoving the thought aside, he gave Levi a soft kiss on the forehead, before resting his chin on the black haircrown. Whatever the future may bring, Erwin swore to himself, he would never ever let anything get between him and his mate – his Levi. Anything at all.

Levi was petrified at what he had done, entrusting his deepest secrets to the blond giant. He waited for the second shoe to drop and tear him away, to see Erwin ripping his knot out of his body with force, to face the possible disgust on the alpha's face, but neither happened. 

Instead, he found himself cradled firmly against the wide chiseled chest, Erwin's heart beating soothingly under his ear, bodies pressed tightly, but tenderly together, a soft squeeze keeping his fingers prisoner, not letting go, followed up by a feather-like kiss of reassurance to his forehead.

He cried into the alpha's neck, tears of relief, as well as despair, but no matter how sour his scent turned, Erwin just hugged him tighter, crooning softly, rubbing soothing circles into his mates' tensed shoulders and back.

"I've got you."

Levi held on tight, knuckles of one hand almost white, buried in thick blonde strands of hair.

Erwin's scent gland, still assaulted, as Levi tried to lick off his tears, watching the wound scar over.

This was his alpha, his fate, he could make him bloom, or all thoroughly destroy him. Erwin kept mumbling reassurances in his ear, voice soft and comforting, without a hint of alpha dominance in it. The room still reeked of sex and rut, but Levi realized not only was he exhausted, but he also no longer felt awfully overheated, which was confusing, since it barely been 48h.

He was glad, when Erwin didn't make a move on him. Maybe because he was way too worried, or maybe, because he was an old sack of potatoes over 40 after all, and needed some time to rest, to regain his stamina.

Levi would enjoy it while it lasted. Night had already fallen outside, covering them in semi darkness, as Erwin gently ran a washcloth over his omega's sensitive skin, cleaning him up gently, before tossing the dirty sheets away from under them, thankful for his own preparations.

Levi nibbled on a few slices of apple, not actually hungry and emptied the water bottle Erwin provided him with, before letting the big guy tug him in. There would be more food in the fridge, Erwin had told him, that he could get it, whenever he pleased. But he wasn't typically someone, who woke up in the middle of the night to have a fest.

They both needed some shut eye. Erwin spooned him under the covers, hands clasped together again, before they both fell asleep, Levi cuddled up closely, needing the feeling of Erwin shielding him from the cruel world. It would be hard to let him go to work on monday.

Newly bonded pairs usually needed some alone time to figure stuff out, not able to tolerate being away from their mate for too long, in the first following weeks of a bite. But they would make it work.

As nice as the thought felt, to just about abandon everything and stay here with Erwin forever, Levi still had people to answer to, stuff to take care of.

His dreams were unpleasant as per usual, but he didn't wake screaming and crying, just subconsciously turned around, to chase Erwin's body across the mattress and nuzzle back into his chest. The alpha's heartbeat calmed him down, because his omega recognized, they no longer needed to tackle the world all by themselves. 

Maybe if he talked to Erwin about the Nile clusterfuck, the alpha could help him regain his possessions and money. As long as his savings weren't available, he couldn't just drop his occupation and he had a feeling Erwin wouldn't enjoy the thought of being mated to a thief, who kept stealing other people's shit, even if his alpha was wealthy enough to tend to his every whim, by the bat of an eyelash, if he just asked.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time morning broke, Levi was back to feeling slightly feverish, but not as strong as he usually would. Erwin was still snoring away softly, which Levi found rather cute, as he rolled on top of his alpha's chest entirely, to make himself at home. His fingers itched to touch and explore, but it felt creepy to do so without his alpha's permission. Instead, he kept nosing along the sternum, rubbing himself lazily up against his alpha like a cat. 

Erwin woke up to the feeling of Levi on top of him, nuzzling him like a cat and obstructing his breathing slightly, with his weight resting on his chest, thankfully without panting smelly tuna-breath straight into his face. He opened his eyes lazily, just a bit to take in the sight of his omega straddling him, the pale face already flushed in a pretty pink. Although the heat didn’t seem to consume Levi anymore, it wasn’t completely gone yet, according to the needy mewling Erwin woke up to. He still felt his rut, felt the need to fill up his mate, as much as possible and keep it all in the fucked out hole with his knot. But the need to mount wasn’t roaring like an untamable fire through him anymore, calmed down to an intense craving to be close again. He wanted to make love to Levi, instead of only rutting into him like a mindless animal. 

Apparently noticing that his alpha had woken up under his ministrations, Levi’s hand started stroking the broad chest, appreciating the alpha's muscular body, before wandering lower, gray eyes catching blue, as little fingers grazed Erwin’s coarse golden pubic hair, begging for permission to go further. 

Erwin couldn’t hold in a long stretched deep moan in content, as Levi grasped his semi-hard cock, already interested in the early morning activities the omega had planned. He felt more and more blood rush down to his loins, cock hardening, getting bigger and bigger, as his omega jerked him at a rather slow pace. Moving up and down all the way, working the alpha to complete hardness, drops of precum easing the friction. Blue eyes followed the spectacle intently, watching his mate looming over him closely, seeing how freaking huge his alpha cock looked in the delicate hands of his omega, feeling smug at the sight.

He spread his muscular thighs a bit, to give Levi more room for his administration's, hand reaching up to gently stroke back the black hair to see his face, expression frowned up in concentration for the task at hand. As the omega set his focus on the mushroom shaped head of his cock, smearing beads of precum around the angry red tip, fingernails accidentally teasing the small slit, the alpha choked up a moan, cock twitching. Erwin reached out for Levi’s face again, cupping it and forcing the omega to look into his face, big fingers grazing over their bonding mark. Looking into the hooded gray eyes, the blond felt his mouth go dry, licking his lips, before he was able to rasp out his omega's name in a strained voice. 

The hold on Levi's neck became more demanding, as he set apart his meaty thighs further, inviting the omega to indulge, big cock standing to attention, hard and heavy between his legs.

Erwin was a sight to behold, mussed blonde crown, an evil case of bedhead and his muscles jumping under Levi's every touch. It was an empowering feeling, for the first time Levi experienced, what it meant to have the alpha all to himself, doing as he pleased. While Erwin's hand on his neck was demanding, it wasn't forceful, fingers soft but insistent. 

He hungrily licked his lips, making them shine with fresh salvia, as he crawled up closer, drawn in by Erwin's mouth. Fuck morning breath, the guy didn't even smell that bad and the taste, as he begged for entry, that was granted instantly, just fueled his lust. He was already dripping wet, just from fondling the alpha, so it seemed easy, to push up on Erwin's chest, which made the alpha grunt a little, while Levi got his legs under him, spread wide around muscled thighs. He kept distracting Erwin with kisses, feeling the alpha penetrate his mouth with his tongue, just as expertly as he ate ass, while Levi slowly eased himself down on the massive cock.

He welcomed the burning stretch, as the fat head breached him in one swift push, and he had to hold himself steady for a minute to adjust, to being so full, before sliding down further on the next exhale. He could feel Erwin's gaze following his every move, panting softly, before going all in. Levi appreciated, that the alpha wasn't just fucking up into him impatiently, but he didn't want to wait any longer either. 

Throwing his head back, with his eyes squeezed shut, he sunk down to the hilt, breath leaving his lungs, ass on fire, thighs shaking, as he took in every inch of his alpha's glorious hard member.

"Erwin." Levi all but mewled, at feeling stretched out so far. He wanted the alpha to feel good, but he wasn't so sure, if he could move already, his heart was racing, sweat already beading down his back, as he kept squeezing the intruder softly within heated walls. Erwin was well endowed in girth as well as size and Levi was way too small for that. It still stung, every time they had done it so far, but the pleasure overrode the discomfort for the most part.

"So good for me boy." Erwin crooned soothingly, his fingers running softly through Levi's equally mussed up hair. The alpha certainly practised restraint, as he kept waiting for Levi to move, watching quivering milky thighs, fighting to keep him up. Levi leaned over slightly, doing little more than feeling up Erwin's dick in his ass, before he felt like he had gathered enough strength to try to push up.

It was a sporadic and shaky rhythm at best, he couldn't find the right satisfying angle, could already feel frustration setting in. Erwin in turn watched him struggle, with a smirk and occasional grunt, as Levi kept wiggling, before his hands moved down to support the small thighs.

It was truly an adorable sight for the alpha. His little omega, straddling him, sitting on his cock and struggling with the thick girth, inside his tight hole. Appreciating grunts left Erwins mouth, as the movements on top of him stimulated his cock, the ass clenching around him, trying to adjust to the massive intrusion. The lithe body wiggled desperately in search for the right angle, yearning to find the spot that would make him see stars and after a while of watching on smugly, he took pity on his mate. His palms slid down Levi’s body to grasp the quivering thighs. Nudging gently, he guided his mates' hips, thrusting up his pelvis in small strokes, not too domineering, but aiming for the omega’s sweet spot nonetheless. The sudden keen of his mate on top of him, after only a few tries stoked the alphas ego, since he apparently started to grasp the delicate body, even better than its original owner. Whimpering and mewling Levi fell forward, at the sudden pleasure rushing through him, his hands landing on Erwins chest, barely catching him. After a moment of grinding his hips, drooling at the thick cockhead massaging his prostate, he raised himself up on shuddering arms. Erwin watched intently and waited patiently, until Levi regained his composure, at least enough to continue himself, fighting the instinct to simply overpower his mate and fuck him into oblivion. Instead, the alpha held himself back, wanting the omega to want his alpha enough, to work desperately for his reward, but also to prove that his mate could trust him, since Levi apparently had many bad experiences with alpha's. Erwin wanted his mate to not only feel owned and stuffed to the brim -of course he wanted that, too-, but also loved and protected. Crooning at Levi’s blissed out expression, focusing on the lower lip caught between teeth, Erwin’s palms stroked along the small hips in a reassuring manner.

“Ride me, Levi” he encouraged in a low voice, denying himself, to thrust his hips up as he very much wanted to on a whim. After Levi took a deep breath, steadying himself, Erwin was rewarded for his patience, the sweet feeling of his omega riding his cock, taking him to the hilt and then lifting himself up in tentative movements. Seeing that with every movement, up and back down again, the omega became more confident, Erwin intertwined his right hand with Levi’s. His blue eyes catching gray, a connection forming between them. Erwin could feel building trust at the tenderness he showed, affection and longing that went beyond lust, not yet love, but intimacy and an unknown potential. Squeezing the fingers softly, Erwin started to thrust up his hips, meeting his mate and supporting the deep sensual rhythm, as he felt tight walls massaging around his dick, in an attempt to milk him dry again. Praises of his beautiful mate escaped his lips, between grunts and growls, as he felt a burn slowly aching up his body. The need for release coming over him, not as an unstoppable wave, urging him to apply the most frantic and brutal pace he could manage like before, but instead like a warm light, growing steadily and evicting the darkness out of his life. Probably not having the same spiritual experience, as the alpha beneath him, Levi tried to speed up the movements on his hips, obviously exhausted from doing all the work, but desperate for release. Still his attempts on grinding down frantically, were stopped by the large hand, urging him to take it slow.

“Levi.” Erwin moaned with a strained voice, hips grinding in lazy circles “Feel how deep I am inside of you.” He could see the outline of his big cock though, bulging out the formerly flat stomach. “How perfect I fit inside of you. You take me so well, so good for me.” Levi was impaled on his dick, the strength leaving his thighs slowly, barely able to hold himself up anymore. Erwin was close too, cock pulsing inside the heat, he could feel the swell of his knot beginning slowly. He couldn’t wait to lock himself to his mate again, having him so close again, cradling the small body in his lap and marking every centimeter of pale skin, he could reach. 

“Now can you be a good omega and take my knot like this?” Erwin cooed - although it was clear that this was more a command, than an actual question – underestimating the exhaustion of his mate.

Levi whined pitifully. He didn't want to take the knot, now that he had his wits together, the fear was coming back to the forefront of his mind.

He barely could fit Erwin without pain as it was, just the thought of being torn open again, made him choke on his own breath, his blood pressure skyrocketed along with his heartbeat.

He couldn't do it, couldn't be stuck 45 minutes on the alpha's knot. The pain would be unbearable, without the heat dulling his senses.

His legs stopped moving, plopping him down onto Erwin's girth with more force, then his boney backside was able to cushion, sending aching cramps up his hips and tummy. The alpha's firm hands framing his hips, fingers spun wide, grip tight.

He wanted to be a good omega, he wanted it so bad, but his brain to mouth filter decided to malfunction right at that moment.

"The fuck, are you talking about blonde Hulk Hogan?" Levi wanted to climb off of Erwin's meaty thighs, but he had no strength left to lift himself up again.

Erwin obviously didn't like him mouthing off, because the moment, the words had rung out in the room, a loud slap followed suit. Levi's cheek went up in flames upon impact and he recoiled back from the alpha. Betrayal turned his scent sour, as he tiredly lifted his hands to cover his face, afraid of another blow, but leaving his throat unprotected in the process. Just as he seeked cover, mind running wild, he registered again, how Erwin was fucking him raw, without any protection and the wave of thoughts ranging from germs, possible diseases to pregnancy, left him feeling nauseous.

Erwin's rage flared up, sending red mist of anger in his peripheral vision, the moment his mate disobeyed and back talked to him, yet again.

Levi choked on a sob, already leaning backwards to escape somehow, despite it causing him pain and distress.

This situation suddenly didn't feel safe and his old instincts kicked in, completely oblivious to the fact that Erwin was his mate.

The only important thing to him right now, was getting away from the forming knot inside of him.

Erwin’s illusion of shared trust and respect between mates was shattered, as the omega mouthed off again and what was even worse, struggled to get away from his knot. No not only his knot, but from himself, from his mate as a whole. He watched the omega on top of him writhe to stand up, legs too weak to properly support him. Saw the panicked expression on the face, left cheek colored with an angry red handprint. There was no heat left inside the omega and it hurt Erwin, that Levi apparently couldn’t find it in himself, not even for the tiniest bit, to accept him as his alpha. 

A sharp tug against his knot threw Erwin out of his thoughts, pain and heartache raging through him as the omega – his mate – assembled all his strength to get away from the knot. Instinctively his grip on the hips tightened again, fingers boring into sharp bones, forcing Levi down on his cock again, ramming his hips up as much as he could, possessed by the fear of losing his mate. He didn’t care much for his omega's distressed scent and noises, his own pheromones spiking in anger and pain, as he could feel the tearing and pulling around his growing knot hurting him not only physically. The moment Erwin felt his knot almost slip out, panic overrun his need to soothe his distressed mate and instead, his massive hand shot out to Levi’s still unprotected throat, grasping it without hesitation, and choking the omega slightly in the process, before he used the pressure to force the omega's body down on the bed sheets again. His body following closely on top of him, hips pushing his swelling knot firmly back inside the small hole, not caring that it was already too big for the delicate body to handle, tearing his mate open anew in the process. It was painful for him, too, but arousal and possessiveness boiled his blood again.

He had a vision. Picturing Levi and himself together surrounded by pups, he would come home to a warm nest and to a loving mate. They would eat together, laugh together, watch terrible TV shows together and enjoy life together. And in the end, they would die together. Nothing would be able to tear them apart. It was perfect. Levi just needed to see that. And he would make Levi see that. 

The feeling of victory overcame him, as he finally felt his knot inflate to its maximum, locking him firmly inside the still slick walls of his mate, filling him up with his cum once more.

“No, no, no!” Levi cried “Stop, you will knock me up. I don’t want to be pregnant! Get off me you filthy-“ Erwin interrupted him with one last sharp thrust, as if in saying, that this exactly was the whole fucking point. 

“Don’t betray our bond ever again!" he growled, biting down on the bonding mark, before tilting his head down, nuzzling his own bonding mark - that Levi planted on him - against its counterpart, reminding him.

The moment Erwin shoved his knot right back inside, caging Levi in, the omega openly started crying. No longer trying to appear even an ounce of tough headed. He could feel Erwin's possession and victory through the bond and it just made him sick to his guts. He tried to close himself off to the bond, as best as he could.

Not wanting to give the alpha the satisfaction of knowing how helpless Levi felt under him. How deep fear was running in his veins and terror coaled his synapsis. His mind too confused to keep the fragile pieces together, that had only been haphazardly glued together, after Kenny left to start with. The lessons he’d learned under the older alpha’s guidance had been full of humiliation, objectification, self hatred and depression.

The pain from being torn into by Erwin’s unrelenting knot was almost blinding, making him wish to fucking die right on the spot. He wanted to throw up, but Erwin's big palm would probably either beat, or choke the life out of him, if he pulled off such a stunt right now. He was sure of it. As the alpha aggressively scented him, scent glands rubbing together with enough force to tear skin, Levi let his gaze wander, getting stuck on the oil painting above the bed. He didn’t want to feel at all, didn’t want to see or hear Erwin grunting and puffing and spouting bullshit.

If he couldn't escape in body, he might as well escape his mind, sealing himself off to all the emotions and bodily hurt and discomfort. 

He loved art, he loved little nick nacks. He came here for art and antique little things, he recounted every picture, figurine and whatever else he had touched, while alone in the apartment. His gaze remained on the softly brushed out yellow daisies on the wide green gras, covering a small hill in the painting above the huge king size bed. The longer he stared, the more he stopped fighting Erwin, body surrendering to it’s fate, while Levi decided to leave the premises. 

The omega’s mind was busy with imagining walking along the soft wet ground barefooted, feeling every piece of grass graze and tickle his feet, leaving wet residue behind. He thought about the sun, casting a lovely glow across the scenery, thought about the different chirps of birds he would be hearing and everything he could come up with. The wind brushing through a thick leafed tree, making the wood protest and the leaves rattle. He would be stuck under the alpha for at least 20 more minutes, if not even longer. 

He remembered Kenny saying something about how angry alpha's could knot longer, if enough emotion was in play. He could hear the old geezer snickering in his ear, about what a goddamn cum dumpster Levi would be, that everybody would have a piece of his ass, pass him around to fest on, before discarding him like the trash he was. Worthless, useless and over all unwanted. Because, as an omega, all he was good for was to be bred and fucked within an inch of his life. Exactly what he deserved and got in life. Omega’s had no rights to have dreams or careers, or even just imagining doing anything, apart from raising offspring and producing even more stronger alpha’s. There was no use or future for people like him, unless he spread his legs like an obedient bitch.

The toxic words kept interrupting his painting, so he gave all his effort to escape reality even further. Even as Erwin's shoulder blocked his view, he could still see the painting in front of his eyes, dawn kissed sky with puffy clouds and golden glowing grass, bathing in the afternoon sun.

His entire body was still shaking and crying underneath Erwin, ugly loud sobs, that echoed off the bedroom walls, hands pressed into fists so hard, he could feel his fingernails digging into his skin, thirsty to draw blood. He didn't even try to listen, to whatever bullshit the alpha was spouting, already too far gone. If he could just endure it for long enough, until the knot would pass. He had to bear it.

He would scramble to lock himself up in a bathroom right after. Or maybe wait for Erwin to deal with whatever business, before making a run for it, hiding away in Kenny's old house, waiting for the bulldozers to come and crumble him into a heap of dust. 

He needed to get clean, scrub every inch of his body inside and out, before he would crawl out of it all together. That would be the first thing he did, when the big blonde piece of shit would finally unknot him. He just wanted out, even if it meant crawling across broken glass on all fours to get there. He would never leave the house again, or go anywhere near an alpha. He would steal all the suppressants he could get his hands on, to stave off any heat symptoms, until he either died or the medication killed him off first.

His imagination of a warm summer day on the grass was disrupted, changing to a hard desert covered in glass shards and a laughing big face of Erwin as a sun, while thorns tore Levi apart. 

He was losing himself, an important part of himself to Erwin. He would have to leave it behind in order to leave, tear it apart from himself, no matter how painful it was. He just had to pull through first. He didn't know how to function without it, suddenly overwhelmed and scared and helpless like a newborn. All he knew was that he would have to sit in scalding hot water for at least a week, to burn off any trace of the alpha's seed. The thought of douching in bleach suddenly felt really appealing, making him almost smile.

'You self destructive bastard.' Kenny would mutter, before kicking him into a pulp, to show him his place. His place, that was underfoot of any alpha. Just a heat driven bitch, with a hole to fuck. 

Erwin noticed that Levi was completely zoned out, focusing on everything but his alpha, staring blankly over his shoulder at the ceiling. For a while he tried to get his attention, nuzzling and scent marking him aggressively, growling in his ear, almost behaving like a needy child, whose favorite pet didn’t like him back. But Levi wasn’t his pet, he was his mate. Levi belonged to him now and Erwin longed to show him that he belonged to Levi, too. His cock throbbed, emptying another load of cum inside the tight hole, as if to emphasize this conclusion. Exhausted from the frantic action he had to take before, the alpha draped himself and his weight over his mate like a too heavy blanket, cradling his mate in an attempt to urge any response out of him. Still stuck to his mate, Erwin wondered why his knot hadn’t gone down yet. 45 minutes were over and his knot still didn’t show any intention of going down, instead pulsing as angry, as the anger still boiling through his veins.

“I could be good for you.” he muttered, knowing that Levi wasn’t listening and didn't even care for his words. 

This didn’t only hurt his pride as an alpha, it shattered his pride as a human. Since Erwin – tall, handsome, alpha – was used to people listening to him, the moment he opened his mouth, his dark voice like chocolate filling the room – capturing the attention of everyone without much effort. And now his most important person wouldn’t care at all, probably never will.

“We could be good together. It could be so easy. You only have to accept me and you would never have to worry about anything at all ever again.” he reasoned to deaf ears “I wanted to make you feel good. You know that I can.” he added, biting down on the bonding mark softly, trying to channel his anger into words.

With the raw emotion of his rut fading, leaving his mind with the task to somehow make the omega understand his fate. 

“You have to accept the fact that we are mated now. You know what that means in this society? This means you are mine.” Erwin emphasized this by grinding his hips against the small ass, fluids squelching lewdly around the throbbing knot. “Mine to take and mine to breed. You stay at home, raise my pups, cook for me and keep everything nice and clean, while I bring in the money, before impaling you on my cock again and fucking you full with even more children.”

Sensing that he was getting his mates attention, finally, Erwin continued “This is how it is supposed to be, how it is and how society wants it to be. I never imagined being in the situation to think about, if I would actually treat my mate this way. I actually never thought about how I would treat my mate at all. It wasn’t a priority. But you are my priority now, Levi, and it appears that you leave me no choice. But remember, it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s up to you, Levi.” he crooned sirupy.

And finally after over an hour, Erwin felt his knot go down, the closeness to a mate this passive towards him, actually draining his energy, leaving his thoughts caught up in a black cloud, instead of visions of a sunny future, butterflies and summerfields, other mated couples got to experience.

Even though Levi was not listening to the alpha's rambling, his omega did register the words loud and clear subconsciously. It drove him even deeper into his inner turmoil. Erwin was a heavy weight on top of him, crushing his lungs and making it even harder to breathe, but Levi clung to the discomfort. He just had to hold on a little longer. It seemed to take forever for the alpha to fall asleep and roll off his chest in the process, but as his breathing fanned out regularly for quite a while, Levi dared to glance at the huge blonde cage. Erwin was indeed asleep, dreaming god knows what kind of fucked up shit.

But coming back to reality, also meant the pain in his backside flaring up to deep agony. 

The omega was gritting his teeth, only sheer power of will, keeping him from shouting out aloud, while he slowly inched away from the imposing man. 

This was his only chance and he would use it. It seemed to take for fucking ever, until he rolled away, enough to sit on the edge of the bed. Hoping the bunched up pillow would cover his disappearance for now. Erwin was out cold, not having woken up yet, but Levi had no time to wait. His legs were shaking, as he tried to stand up, albeit slowly, but the vertigo was making it impossible to stay upright. His legs folded under him right away, scraping against the floor. He waited with bated breath for Erwin to wake up and launch forward at the sound, but the alpha didn't move. Levi glanced back at the towering figure, body screaming at him to return next to the warm body, but he kept crawling away from the bed, towards the door. 

He had no idea, where his clothes went and he probably wouldn't make it far in his state, but anything, literally anything would do right now.

The expensive door thankfully didn't creak, as he opened it, shuffling out into the hallway, almost howling at the pain each movement caused him. He didn't even dare sniffle, despite tears clouding his vision and his nose dripping like a faucet, but his determination spurred him on. There was a bathroom at the end of the hallway, the only room with a fucking lock on the door and he would get to it. He had to. Levi didn't know how long it took him to crawl there, slumping inside and locking the thick door behind himself. It might not hold up for long, if Erwin came raging in, but it was the best he could do for now.

He was exhausted to the bone, drained dry and at the same time so full of conflicting emotions. He couldn't tell right from left.

The click sound of the lock engaging, was like music to his ears. He rolled up on the cold tiled floor for a moment, to take a much needed breather. He hadn't bothered to turn on the light, the city underneath them sending a soft glow up the skyscraper, illuminating the room dimly through the window.

The bathroom was the only room with a built- in scent canceling vent, and not having to smell the overpowering possessiveness, helped ease his mind. It still ached his omega to be away from Erwin, but feeling safe was more important to Levi right now, than feeling complete. 

He could be complete all by his own. He always got by perfectly well, on his own. Mates or fated mates were a bunch of bullshit. There was only pain alphas could offer.

As if on cue, his body started throbbing tenfold now, his entire lower body licking in fire, cheek still burning from the handprint adorning his skin, throat raw and itchy.

He eyed the shower to his left and slowly made his way over, half rolling, half shuffling and crawling, to get to the relief, water promised him. He knew the rooms were pretty soundproof, so he didn't have to worry about Erwin waking up. The alpha had his own ensuite, probably never actually set foot in this bathroom in all his life. There were dusties in the corners, much to Levi's disdain, but he had to get clean first and take a rest. Maybe he would get lucky and Erwin wouldn't even look in here for him. He turned the handle to as hot, as it would go, before tapping it on and scalding himself in the process. He hissed, but didn't get away from the sensation. He'd had it worse. He plucked the shower basin half heartedly, waiting for the water to rise and allow his aching back side some relief. Watching the water cloud up in the semi darkness, his tears kept falling. His inner omega was raging at his actions, but despite it causing him even more pain, Levi needed to get clean. He had to, hoping against hope, it would defy the odds.

He eventually stopped scrubbing himself raw and fell asleep with the water trickling down his back, head resting against the cool tile, tilted forward towards his chest. Maybe if he would lay his head down near the drain, he might drown in his sleep. Wouldn't that be hilarious, if the coroner had to list all of his injuries, just to conclude the cause of death was drowning in the shower basin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the update is here early. I can't promise to update next week however, because it's flue season. I've been sick for a while now and it's not passing, hence I sleep alot and only do necessary stuff like go to work. (It doesn't help that half the staff at work is sick too, so I catch the bug again, whenever I feel like it had finally passed. Grrr.)  
I'm still editing chapter 7, but I'm not sure if I will finish on time. So please take my genuine apologies in advance. I'm trying though, stuffed nose, cotton wool head and all.

When Erwin woke up after what felt like ages, he had lost any sense of time and room, needing a moment to figure out where he was and what had happened. Saturday 2 p.m. the clock read and the blond could not remember, that he had ever slept this long, or this late in his whole life. His muscles ached from the exhaustion and he couldn’t help, but feel completely drained by his rut, cringing at the thought of how his omega’s body must feel, after he had his fill of the alpha several times, without much time in between to recover. 

As if struck by lightning Erwin shot up. 

Levi! 

Looking around frantically, he realized that his mate was not in bed with him anymore. Hoping that he'd only gotten hungry and got up to rummage through the kitchen, to make himself something to eat, Erwin jumped out of the bed, still completely naked. Thinking twice, he grabbed a pair of boxer shorts and pulled them on hastily, not wanting to disturb his mate, with the image of his alpha running around his apartment in a panic, raging naked, as if ready to continue, where they left off. Just in case, that his Levi would indeed be in the kitchen. Which, of course, wasn’t the case. Remembering the omega's need for cleanliness, the next station to check was the ensuite bathroom, where they had washed up before. Also no Levi.

No Levi in the living room, no Levi in the library, no Levi in the playroom -Erwin was actually relieved. 

That would have been embarrassing for him - and probably another reason to run away in fear, as far as he could for Levi- and no Levi in the hallway. 

Erwin got the feeling that Levi didn’t want to be found. That was, if he was still in the apartment, that is. Maybe he already did run for the hills? Guilt started to gnaw through Erwins insides. He had no clue, he would be like this during a rut close to an omega. Completely overwhelmed with possessiveness and primal instincts. Pictures of his mate all bruised up, marked and painted in sticky white and bloody red, shot through his vision, making him nauseous of what he put the little one through.

Although, it was not the imagery, which made him sick, since he enjoyed marking up his partners, leaving them with bruises and love bites, tying them up and dominating them. It was the fact that it had happened without Levi fully consenting. And now Levi was running away from him, hiding and trying to lock the alpha out of his life. Or lock himself in, to keep his mate out. With fast steps Erwin conquered the hallway, making way to the big bathroom, that he never used, since he was too lazy to have to clean up two bathrooms -not even remembering, when he had last cleaned in there. Did he ever clean this one?-.

A twinge of hope bubbled up, as he heard quiet clutter from the inside and he wanted to storm in and envelope his mate in his arms again, showing him how happy he was, that he was still there. But he knew that this was exactly what he should not do. If he would pound open the door and squish the little omega in his arms again, booming voice overpowering the room, he would scare Levi again. 

So Erwin hesitated. He still wanted to make sure that Levi was indeed behind the heavy door. His hand reached for the door. Locked. Staring at the heavy dark wood of the door, Erwin, the man that always had a good plan up his sleeve and was one gamble ahead in business, actually was unsure what to do. Barging in was no option. Just leaving him, felt like neglecting his mate even further. And he had done this enough. 

Taking a deep breath, he decided to knock on the door, to make his presence known. An almost timid knock, barely audible, but Levi must have heard it, since the quiet shuffling inside the room immediately stopped.

“Levi? I know you are in there.” Erwin started, voice cracking in relief, that his mate hasn’t left, struggling to find the right words. There were no right words anymore, that he could offer up, still he had to try. “Please com-“ … “I-“ giving himself a mental slap in the face, Erwin choked on his own attempts, to beg Levi to come out, to come back to him. He knew he could simply use his alpha voice and command his omega out there, but he couldn’t have lived with himself anymore, if he would have done that, with his mind completely clear, without the rut on top of all of that. Rendering his useless brain for any masterplan, he wished he was at least half as good, at handling emotional matters, as business plans. But he wasn’t and he couldn’t learn it in the next two minutes, so he focused on what he could do at that specific moment. 

The least he could do, would be providing for his mate. Levi must be exhausted, probably even in a very bad condition, hungry and without any blankets to roll himself up in. So Erwin made his way back to the kitchen, looking for anything suitable, finding a rather empty fridge and not much healthy food, some packages of frozen fast food, possibly even dating back to his college years. Shuddering, the blond at least grabbed a bottle of water and put an apple and a few biscuits on a plate, making his way back to 'Levi’s' -bathroom. On the way, his eyes fell on the throw of the couch, the one Levi had looked so adorable in, his little angry sushi roll, so he picked it up as well, to carry it over. The alpha placed the sparse selection in front of the bathroom door, before softly knocking again.

“I brought you water and some snacks. Don’t be afraid to get them, or anything else you might find to your liking.” Erwin said, only answered by a dismissive snort, that was saying ‘As if I would be stupid enough to ever open the door’. 

“I will go grocery shopping now, do you want anything in particular?” 

Silence. 

“No? Well, I'll find something and be back in about an hour.” he informed Levi, before turning around, putting on his clothes and leaving his apartment, door clicking shut softly behind him.

Levi waited a few more minutes, after hearing Erwin retreating towards the front door, to be sure the alpha was actually gone. 

He had woken up, feeling filthy again and took another scalding shower in the early hours of the morning, before he had tried to clean the bathroom he was in, with the bare necessities at hand he had to his disposal. It took him hours, because his body was still in so much pain, his mind torn and he was still so tired and generally feeling like shit. He had no idea how late it was, but Erwin must have slept in late. Levi's inner clock was always reliable, so he knew he must have woken around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m.. 

When the apartment remained silent, Levi dared to unlock the bathroom door, coughing heavily from the wave of stinky alpha pheromones right in front of him. The scentless bathroom had helped him focus, but now the alpha's stink was pleading with his inner omega. 

Fuck biochemistry!

He snatched the water bottle and the apple, sniffing it, but smelling no obvious poison, leaving the outdated looking biscuits on the plate, but arranging them in a noticeable middle finger gesture. The throw was tempting, but it was fucking filthy. 

There was still cum on it for fucks sake! 

It repulsed him. He kicked it away from the door, as wide as he could manage in his weak attempt. 

Leaning against the doorframe, he tried to get back on his shaky legs, for what felt like the billionth time that day, finally succeeding, even if every move was still like swimming in a pot of jello. 

It was tempting to escape entirely, while Erwin was out, but he knew he wouldn't even get down to the lobby in the state he was in. The bathroom was as safe as he could get right now. It made no sense to keep searching Erwin's apartment for the map, he could hardly do more than survive right now. 

He wanted some fucking tylenol, ibuprofen, benzos, whatever would do, to dull the pain. The med cabinet in the bathroom had been as empty as his bank account.

It took him, what felt like most of the time, to snatch a few fluffy towels from the laundry, that still smelled like detergent, a clean blanket from the cabinet in the living room and a pillow he had spotted in the library. Thankfully there was cleaning stuff in the kitchen under the sink, but it was way too heavy for him to lift, so he only took the bottle of bleach and some terries. It was alluring really, but he had hardly set it down and closed the door again, before he heard sound from the front door. He sighed, hastily locking his fort again, throwing the blanket with the pillow and towels in the bathtub, before crawling right on top of it. 

Erwin could go fuck himself!

Levi took a few sips of water, already drained of all energy, from wandering around to get his hands on essentials, holding one of the towels close like a safety blanket, closing his eyes against the glow of afternoon sun. Less stimulation, made it easier to sort out his head.

Being greeted by a middle finger out of biscuits, wasn’t the nicest welcome home he received, but Erwin felt relieved that Levi had at least opened the door, while he was away. He even took the apple and the water bottle, but still rejected the blanket. 

With a sigh Erwin picked it up, hand immediately coated in something sticky, groaning inwardly in disgust. It was fucking filthy with his seed, probably grossing Levi out, as if he had masturbated in front of the door, instead of putting the throw there. Face scrunched up, he carried it away, tossing it in the washing machine, together with all of the other bed sheets and used up towels. He noticed that some of the fresh towels were missing, so at least Levi must have found suitable replacements. With the washing machine rumbling in the background, Erwin made his way back to the kitchen, starting to prepare the freshly bought vegetables for the planned dish. Although he had to admit, he wasn’t much of a cook, but even he could manage some roasted vegetables with potatoes and chicken breast. With everything set and ready in the oven, the blond started going through his apartment, checking what items Levi had deemed useful enough to take. Not much else and he probably didn’t find his painkillers and sleeping pills -for stressful days only of course- since Erwin stored his medication in his night drawer, together with other things, he prayed Levi hadn’t found yet. Still it surprised him that none of his cleaning supplies went missing, aside from bleach and terries, probably too heavy to carry. So he took some of the cleaning supplies and painkillers to Levi’s room, announcing his return with a knock. 

“I’m back home. I brought you some cleaning supplies and painkillers. Food will be ready in ten minutes. I will bring it to your door, but feel free to join me at the table.”

With that Erwin left for the kitchen again, preparing some black tea and checking the food in the oven, which actually looked good, not burnt at all. And if the smell was anything to go by, it was good too. He knew that there was no way in hell, that Levi would join him, he could be lucky, if he would accept the food at all. Seeing how skinny the little omega was, he probably was used to skip meals and the raging hunger pangs that come from doing exactly that. Finally the oven beeped, food ready, smelling mouthwatering. As he put the scalding hot oven form on the kitchen counter, Erwin's eyes fell on the plate with the offending arranged biscuits. So he decided to reciprocate Levi’s effort, rearranging the bell peppers and tomatoes around the chicken breast, laying on top of carrots and potato slices, until it formed a pretty and colorful heart. Armed with food and tea, Erwin made his way down the hallway again. He almost let the things fall out of his hands, as he saw the door was opened just a bit and he got a glimpse of Levi, dragging the cleaning supplies inside, gray eyes widening in shock, as he noticed Erwin just a few feet away, before retreating back inside, slamming the door shut and locking it hastily. For a moment Erwin couldn’t move, the image of the bruised up omega with skin scrubbed raw, burned into his mind. As he caught himself, the alpha placed the plate and tea in front of the door. 

“Lunch is ready.” he mumbled “I’m going to the living room.”

And this is how the rest of their sunday went. Erwin would mind his own business, trying to give his mate the much needed space, only putting lunch and dinner, a few treats and loads of tea - since Levi seemed to especially like the tea, it was gone the fastest- in front of ‘Levi’s room’. During those times, he would try to speak a few sentences to Levi, voice always staying gentle, or at least neutral, despite the rising despair of never getting much of an answer. 

  
  


When Monday morning arrived, Erwin didn’t know how he would survive the meeting – that damned important meeting, that had to be postponed to Monday. 

Looking in the mirror, Erwin tried his best to look as he ever did. Hair combed neatly to the side, suit pressed dry, fitting his strong body perfectly. The dark blue of his suit perfectly matches his deep blue eyes, making him look not only competent, but dashingly handsome, giving him the power to dominate the room. Although, having to leave his omega alone in the apartment this long, distressed him immensely, going back to work probably would do him some good. 

Returning to familiar ground and getting Levi out of his mind, to be able to focus on something else, at least for a few hours. Set on his decision to not let anyone suspect a thing, he buttoned up his shirt, two buttons higher than usual, to hide the bonding mark.

Levi had been up since the asscrack of dawn, purging any fluid and food from his body that had possibly been there, since he had been born. Locked up in the safety of the bathroom, the weekend had passed agonizingly slow. 

Despite Erwin serving him food in expectable intervals, that helped Levi track the progress of the day, there wasn't much he had done, apart from sleeping, showering and cleaning the bathroom ten times over and listening to Erwin loitering around outside, doing fuck knows what. The towels were already filthy and revolting, his heat had passed, but instead of feeling better he felt even worse, then he had upon entering his solitary. Erwin would talk to him through the door and Levi would pretend not to listen, even though his omega sucked up each letter flowing from the alphas lips with rapid attention. 

Erwin would be going back to work and Levi had people to answer to, but he couldn't even fucking move much. He was afraid of sliding into deep shit, by not being around his house. Kenny's house. 

What if Nile showed up or one of his lackeys? Did Erwin even know about his colleagues' side projects in laundering money?

He gave up climbing into the bathtub, after having to rush to the toilet for the 3rd time, before he lost count. He lay curled up on the hard tiled floor, back grazing the wall and toilet within hands reach, shivering, because it felt fucking freezing in there, like the temperature had dropped drastically, when Erwin left the premises.

Erwin had announced breakfast to be ready, as well as that he would leave for work and the moment he heard him leaving, his resolve crumpled and he puked up another storm, small body shivering in his towels and blankets. He had been holding it back, afraid Erwin would hear and decide to break down the door after all. But the moment Erwin was gone, knowing he wouldn't come back, until possibly dinner time, had Levi longing for the alpha to return. His bonding mark started itching, which soon turned into a painful burning, the more distance Erwin put between them, on his way to his office. Tears he wasn't aware he had been holding back, pouring down his heated cheeks, as he felt Erwin leaving. He was doomed.

He couldn't even leave the fucking place, if he wasn't puking up a storm. The painkillers were little relief, given they came straight back up. He had stopped wasting them, the moment his stomach got so angrily upset. 

Was this the price he had to pay for Erwin going to work? Was the alpha feeling equally as shitty?

Levi hugged his knees close to his chest, purring for the first time in a long while, in the solitary of what had become his room.

He couldn't remember the last time he had purred, or purred to soothe himself, but he at least had to try. If Erwin would feel equally as fucked up, he would surely come back home.

Levi loathed the bonding mark, as it intensified the pain he was feeling. But at the same time, Erwin had respected his boundaries, had even tried to be kind to him. Making little hearts or flowers out of food and even figuring out his omega's favourite tea and the way Levi loved to drink it. He had to at least give the bastard that much credit. 

Maybe he could have done better?

Maybe Erwin wasn't so bad after all?

But Levi still felt used and betrayed, not yet ready to forgive.

He wasn't known to be forgiving to anyone.

The hours stretched, as Levi napped in between, not daring to touch the food Erwin had left for him. He had opened the door for a second and the smell was enough, to send him back reeling his guts up. He wanted Erwin to come back home, so the agony would stop.

In his haze of sickness, he wasn't even sure, what he was doing, or not doing for that matter. It was almost as bad, as the heat daze. He barely remembered, wanting to crawl into Erwin's bed, to take a sniff of his alpha, before he passed out cold on the hardwood floor of the hallway.

The meeting had started well, Pixis opening the discussion, with the overall business plan introduction. As scheduled on their daily agenda Erwin followed, presenting his calculations and statistics supporting his case. The faces in front of him blurry, as he stood in front of the committee, still his stand was confident as usual and his voice steady, although every fiber in his body itched to get back home, the moment he'd left the house. Everyone was listening to him intently, occasionally scribbling something down, Nile crossing out some of his own calculations angrily and Hanji probably drawing shit on their paper. And then there was Mike, watching him intently, who had probably noticed the buttoned up shirt and slightly unnerved undertone in his voice immediately. After he concluded his presentation, he had been relieved to finally be able to sit down again and escape the center of attention. At least until he saw that Mike had seated himself directly next to him and leaned over slightly, big nose scrunching up, already scanning his scent for anything unusual. Face frowning up slightly, before he turned his attention to the current speaker, keeping his commentary to himself for the moment. 

Erwin couldn’t get to his car fast enough, forcing himself to walk at his usual speed, instead of straight up running out of the office, after he endured the polite useless chit chat, that followed each meeting like clockwork, exchanging pleasantries, but overall avoiding Mike at all costs. Although networking like this was important and he had mastered this art very early in his career - or else it would have been a pitifully short career - Erwin disliked smalltalk. But today he hated it, since it unnecessarily kept him away from returning home to his mate.

“So you got lucky.” a deep voice stopped him in his tracks. Cursing himself for not sprinting, as fast as he could, regardless of what his coworkers might think of him, Erwin turned around, facing Mike, who had followed him and kept up with him easily. “I didn’t know you were dat-“

“I’m sorry, Mike. I have to leave!” Aside from the fact that he didn’t want to explain everything to his best friend right now, he suddenly was overwhelmed with the feeling, that something was seriously wrong, as he dashed away, leaving Mike behind without a second glance. The itching of his bonding mark had turned into a burning sensation, urging him to hurry up and back home to his mate. 

Every second felt like an hour, the slow ride in the elevator up to his apartment mocking him. The moment Erwin opened his apartment door, his heart almost stopped. The small frame of his omega was bunched up on the ground, completely motionless. 

“Levi!” he panicked, hunching down to his mate, grasping the delicate wrists, to check for a pulse, quickly finding a soft beat, fluttering underneath his fingertips. The alpha cursed himself, that he had gotten home so late, although he wouldn’t have anticipated that his absence would hurt Levi at all. But of course it would, they were freshly mated after all and bonded pairs desperately needed to be close together, especially in the first days – sometimes even weeks – after bonding. Growing weaker and weaker with every hour apart, Erwin had noticed it himself, although obviously not being as strongly affected as Levi, due to his severely better bodily condition. Who knew, for how long Levi had been laying there on the ground, unconscious?

“I’m here.” Erwin crooned despite Levi not being able to hear him. “I won’t leave you again.” Cradling his mate in his arms, he carried him to his bed, placing him on the soft clean sheets and covering him with the blanket. After he'd grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and placed his phone directly beside him, ready to call an ambulance right away, just in case Levi stopped breathing. He sat down beside Levi, stroking his hair tenderly, whispering sweet nothings, praying, that he would wake up soon. Not wanting to leave him for a second, Erwin sat there and waited, not realising that almost two hours had passed, until Levi’s eyelids finally fluttered open again.

When Levi finally came to, he had no recollection of the past hours. The last coherent string of thought he could recall, was feeling terribly sick and trying to hide it from Erwin, who had been busy in the kitchen, prepping breakfast.

Even before he dared to open his eyes, he knew he wasn't alone. His omega instincts drifting in a state of contentment, brought up by the gentlest of touches. Soft fingertips ghosting over his face, his ear, down his arm, or playing with his hair, accompanied by soft murmurs of words, he couldn't actually make out just yet.

His sight was blurry, head still stuffed with thick cotton and the feeling that something had died in his mouth ages ago. 

He didn't want to lose the touch, that much he knew, so he rolled his head closer to the heat, coming from beside him, blinking up at a strong suit clad thigh. Erwin was sitting next to him, propped up against the headboard, looking down at him.

Instead of gushing over him, or a litany of 'I'm so fucking sorry!', the first thing out of the alpha's mouth was a gentle question.

"How do you feel?" Levi crunched up his face, trying to take stock of his body. He could feel the soft bed sheets, he was snuggled into, no longer freezing, but warm, with a soft note of fleeting detergent and something, that was unmistakably Erwin. His gut had calmed down for now, there was a faint layer of cream on his bruised skin, which had a soothing effect on his aches and he would be lying to the alpha, if he said he was fine. But he was feeling at least a little better. Levi shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what would be the right answer. Erwin's hand started retreating at that, but Levi followed suit, rolling closer.

"No leave." He mumbled, voice cracking and throat parched, brain obviously not fully able to form coherent sentences. 

"I wasn't planning to. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Erwin said sincerely, reaching over to the bedside cabinet, to retriever the bottle of water and pressing it into Levi's hand.

"You can have tea too, if you are feeling up to it." Erwin pointed over to the blue tall thermos. Levi gave a small nod of acknowledgement, but water sounded more appealing right now. He had trouble twisting the cap off, allowing Erwin to help, before drowning at least half of it in greedy sips, with his head leaned up against the strong thigh, body curled up under the covers. Erwin must have taken care of him. 

Erwin was taking care of him and the thought made warmth blossom in his chest.

"I'm terribly sorry, I put you through this, when I left. I had no idea it would get so bad." Erwin apologized, his fingertips petting the omega's hair. 

"It hurt." Levi replied a little clipped, eyes fixed on the bed spread. 

"I'm sorry for that too. If it still hurts too much, I can take you to the hospital." Erwin offered responsibly. Levi gave a dry laugh in return.

"No. Don't have insurance." He murmured, slinging one arm around Erwin's leg, in an attempt to cuddle up. It wasn't sexually motivated, he just really needed to feel close and despite loathing himself, for even needing this, he just wanted Erwin to hold him. This was not a gesture of forgiving the alpha, but if Erwin was an honest man, he might as well prove his worth. Apologizing for his relentless behaviour during rut was a good point to start with, most alpha's wouldn't even have bothered.

"I can cover any treatment you might need and you shouldn't worry about insurance." Erwin purposefully left out the part that mates were covered by their alpha's insurance straight away, as was the law, to not upset his omega. But knowing what a dangerous life Levi had been living prior and knowing he had no insurance, was making him cringe. What if the omega would have gotten hurt? He could have died out in a ditch for all the alpha knew.

Levi didn't elaborate, or asked for Erwin to take him to a hospital, he had had worse. And the knowledge that Erwin had been caring for him, while he was out like a light, was soothing to know. He briefly wondered, if the alpha had seen the mess Levi made in the bathroom and cleaned that too, or if he had been sitting right next to him all this time.

"I'm sorry for the mess I made." Levi confessed, nose nuzzling Erwin's thigh.

Erwin actually hadn’t put a food inside ‘Levi’s room’, mind fully occupied with staying beside his mate, only standing up to get some water or lotion for his bruised skin, but he immediately made a mental note to clean up, whatever mess Levi had made, the moment he fell asleep again. It didn’t take him long though, the omega had only been able to eat a little bit of apple and drank some of the water, before he dozed off again, snuggled up against the alphas thigh. Erwin could have stayed like this forever, he desperately wanted to and didn’t dare to move, until he was completely sure, he wouldn’t wake Levi up. Regarding the peaceful sleeping form of his mate, he stroked the soft cheek gently for one last time, before tugging himself free, out of the small arms enveloping his waist. 

After cleaning up the mess and tossing any filthy laundry he found in “Levi’s room” into the washing machine, he moved back to his bedroom, contemplating to just put on his sleep wear and snug into bed, next to his sleeping partner. 

Thinking of what happened the last time they were laying together in the bed, he refrained from doing just that, not wanting to upset the omega. Instead he only draped the blanket over the exposed shoulders, leaning down to give Levi a small kiss on the forehead, that was answered by a sleepy mewl, before he left to sleep on the couch, suit long discarded, only wearing some sweat pants and a T-Shirt, avoiding any form of nudity around his mate.


	7. Chapter 7

Distant ringing tossed Erwin from his sleep, his alarm clock chiming angrily at him to fucking wake up. Jumping up and rushing through to the bedroom, where Levi was sitting up paralyzed, staring annoyed at the offending object and smashing at it wildly, not finding the little button in the back, to turn it off. 

“Completely forgot about it.” Erwin mumbled, with a still sleepy voice. “I’m sorry.”

Levi nodded briefly, before lying down again, turning his back to his mate, rolled up in the blankets, apparently distressed. 

“It’s fine.” he mumbled. “You have to go to work after all.”

After what happened last night, there was no way in hell Erwin would actually go to work. Making use of the company policy, to give the freshly bonded alpha’s the opportunity to work from home. Erwin shrugged off Levi’s comment with a plain “I told you, I won’t leave again.” , before calling his office, to submit his request for home office, which was promptly allowed, since Erwin could have done most of his work from home anyway. But he usually chose not to, since he valued the close contact to his coworkers and the accelerated communication that came with just angrily hammering against the office door of the person in question, he needed to talk to urgently. Nothing could beat that, not even angry email’s that could easily be ignored, or closed without being read in the first place.

“I can work from home, as long as needed and only have to show up at the office, if something urgent is the matter.” Erwin called over to Levi from his position in the living room, groaning in annoyance, as his mobile phone beeped, just one minute after he had called in sick, with a message from Mike, that simply contained a winking smiley and an eggplant emoji. 

“It is still early, sleep for another while. Sorry again for disturbing you.” Erwin said, peeking his head into the bedroom briefly, wanting to check on Levi again, before turning around to return to the couch, although he knew he wouldn’t find any sleep anymore by now.

"No!" Levi dared to whine loudly, making grabby hands in Erwin's direction, as the alpha popped his head back in. Erwin looked at him surprised, as Levi kept petting the bed with one hand.

He would have woken up soon anyway, he just hadn't been aware of the alarm clock screeching. Now that he was awake, going back to sleep was the farthest from his mind, he wanted cuddles. It took away his pride to openly beg for it, but he remembered Erwin saying that he should ask for whatever he wanted or needed. And he needed cuddles, right the fuck now! While he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, his motions spoke for themselves, as Erwin stepped closer hesitantly. Levi tried to give him a set of puppy dog eyes, not sure if his face was getting the message, but hoping he wouldn't look too ridiculous doing so.

Erwin sat down next to him on the covers, turning towards the omega, as Levi kept blinking innocently, still patting the pillow, waiting for Erwin to lay down. Finally the alpha complied, stretching out his long body alongside Levi's curled up form, who squirmed closer, to snuggle himself into the alpha.

"You want me to stay?" Erwin asked, voice still deep with sleep, just to make sure, feeling the omega nod furiously into his chest. Levi decided to be bold and snatched one of the big hands, draping the alpha's heavy arm around his waist, waiting for Erwin to finally start petting him. He usually wasn't this touch starved after a heat, or maybe that was the bonds fault, but he couldn't find it in himself to give a flying fuck. He wanted cuddles and he wanted them now and he wanted them from Erwin!

The alpha's strong body was warm next to him, body heat seeping into the smaller man. He hadn't been freezing during the night, but somehow it felt more comfortable with Erwin next to him, his own little spare heater. Levi still hogged the blankets, grateful, Erwin chose not to get under them, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that much bodily contact yet. More acting on instincts than anything. Erwin's fingers kept rubbing his scalp, carding through his hair and down to the knotted tangled mess in his neck. He needed a haircut, but other things kept coming up, and it was way too nice to feel Erwin gently graze down his neck, trying to untangle the little knots that had formed during his sleep. Levi hummed in comfort, nose rubbing across the alpha's t-shirt clad chest. The feeling was divine, possibly even capable of coaxing him back to sleep, if he would allow Erwin to actually manipulate him like this. But this was his side of the game. If Erwin wanted to stand a chance to become his true alpha, he had to prove himself steady. 

Levi could feel the purr of contentment forming in his chest, but squashed the feeling down. He couldn't show himself this vulnerable yet. Erwin hadn't kept up any sweet chatter, allowing the silence to envelope them, as he kept draping himself all over the alpha in his need for contact. Erwin took it in stride, letting Levi climb half on top of him, leg slung around the big thigh, hips pressed up closely and upper body sprawling out across the alpha's chest, one hand lazily hanging out across the fit pecs, as Erwin petted his hair, down to his neck and down his shoulders. Fingers never trailing far and only grazing the bonding mark in wide circles. 

"Good." Levi sighed, before his eyes flew open in horror, as his stomach lurched and nausea spread through his system.

Fuck his life! 

He shot up from Erwin instantly, scrambling to get to the bathroom, almost kicking Erwin in the balls in the process, as he already felt the acid burning up his throat, legs still tangled in the duvet.

Holding Levi this close to his body and enjoying the silence, was something Erwin could get used to. He was starting to get sleepy again, although he wouldn’t want to miss a moment of this, not daring to move a muscle, aside from drawing gentle circles around his mate’s bonding mark.

But suddenly the peace was disrupted by Levi jumping up in a hurry, hands clasped over his mouth and struggling to get his legs free from the blanket. As fast as he could, Erwin helped Levi out of the blanket and reached out to carry him to the bathroom. The moment he had the little man lifted up and cradled in his arms, Levi suddenly hunched forward, turning slightly green, and despite desperately trying to keep it in, vomited directly over himself and Erwin. 

Watching the delicate frame in his arms coughing pitifully, the blond didn’t feel a twinge of disgust at the filth, instead patted the shivering back firmly, so Levi wouldn’t choke on anything. Thankfully Levi stopped soon, most of the vomit clear, since there has barely been anything in his stomach. Little hands pushed at Erwin’s shoulders to let him down again, head turned away, as Levi cried in shame at the mess he made. Holding on, until he reached the ensuite bathroom, Erwin let Levi down, before pulling his dirtied shirt over his head and discarding his own alongside it. 

“Do you feel better now?” Erwin crooned, while his hand reached out to test the water temperature of the shower, stepping aside to gesture Levi, who was now left in his underwear, to move inside first to clean up.

With a small nod Levi also removed his last bit of clothing, much to Erwins surprise, who turned his head away to give his mate his privacy, suppressing the urge to take a peek. Instead, he left to take the filthy clothing to the washing machine, opened the windows and sprayed the rooms with a nice room perfume, but not without leaving out a fluffy clean towel for Levi, ready to use, when he stepped out of the shower. Minutes over minutes passed, the windows were already closed again, everything smelling nice and clean, as if nothing had ever happened. Erwin began to wonder what took Levi so long. Knocking softly, but not getting an answer, he entered the bathroom, shocked at the sight of the small figure collapsed to his knees in the shower, scrubbing frantically, as scorching hot water poured over him. The water almost burned Erwin’s hand, as he rushed into the shower, turning the water to a mild cold temperature to cool off the burning red shrimp skin. 

“Levi…” he cooed, reaching out to his crumbled mate, who cowered on the ground, sobbing quietly. The alpha rinsed off the rest of the soap gently, before turning the water off and enveloping Levi in the soft towel, drying him off, Erwin searched for the right words to say. 

“Levi… why?” was the only thing that kept repeating in his mind over and over again, he didn’t even realize that he had spoken the question out loud.

  
  


Levi hid his face, avoiding the alpha's searching gaze and his question all together. He was still so filthy, how could Erwin even touch him? He was filthy, the shower floor was still filthy, after he had puked in there several more times, until realisation had hit him like a firetruck. 

Oh god!

Erwin shouldn't look in there, he probably missed some spots and he didn't know where to start or how to explain. Still dazzled and wired up from his suspicion.

This couldn't be happening. Not now, not ever and most of all not to him. He didn't want to end like the filthy omega whore Kenny always told him, he would be. He didn't want to be disfigured, or chasing after stupid pups. He didn't want Erwin's already overprotective nature having a field trip at his expense.

Just thinking about it, made him want to throw up again.

It couldn't be just a stupid stomach bug, he wasn't that retarded to believe this. When he was fine for mostly the rest of the day and just had been in heat, stuck on an alpha's knot without any protection whatsoever.

Where was the fucking bleach bottle again?

Levi dragged the towel closer to his body, almost drowning in it, becoming aware of his nudity and tried to make a move for his room.

The bleach sure must still be in there, but Erwin wouldn't let him slip away. Firm arms, holding onto his shivering omega form, blue gaze full of possibly concern. Levi gaped at him, mouth opening and closing, unable to voice anything at all. He didn't know what to say, Erwin would catch on straight away. 

He always thought of himself as a good liar, but if the rumors and old wives tales were true, Erwin would know instantly that Levi was lying to him. He didn't want the alpha to lose his temper again. His bruises only had started to fade. But maybe, if he got Erwin angry enough, and got a good beating this shit would be dealt with.

Could he do something like this? He couldn't doom Erwin to a life of guilt. Levi kept shaking his head, mind worrying over the what ifs, while looking up at Erwin with tears in his eyes.

"Levi, you need to calm down." Erwin said earnestly, seeing the anxiety playing out across his mates face. He really wasn't good at this and should possibly consult Mike for help.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." - ' I'm so fucking pathetic.', Levi thought, while spitting apologies, hands clutching at Erwin's chest, making fists every now and again, while Levi was at war with himself on the inside. 

"I'm so fucking sorry, please. Please. Please."

Levi repeated apologies over apologies, talking himself into a frenzy, fueling his panic further. Erwin didn’t know what to do. He had never dealt with anything like that, only had heard that this could happen to people, who had a lot to suffer through in their life. Feeling the anxiety and desperation radiating from his mate, leaving his own head in a tailspin, clouding his own thinking with panic, he fought to not get overwhelmed by the emotions and instead find a solution to calm Levi down. But he wasn’t an expert by any means, not even good with emotional connections at all, unlike other people, who were gifted with a high empathy and the right amount of sensitivity to handle the situation. 

For example Mike could deescalate every fight between friends or foes, could make any small crying child smile again with a small gesture and help a broken woman overcome her haunting past. ‘Mike!’ it shot through Erwins head ‘Mike would know what to do’. 

Erwin didn’t know the details, Mike wouldn’t betray his wife's trust and just run around to tell the tale, not even to his best friend - and for this Erwin valued him even more, knowing that secrets were safe with the gentle giant. 

As far as he knew Nanaba – probably not unlike Levi - came from an abusive family and luckily for her, accidentally ran into Mike, as she tried to run away, scared and crying, full of distrust and fear, but in the end found Mike, and he did what he did best, picking up all of her shattered pieces, the patient man that he is, and earned first her friendship and then her love. It was a story like a fairytale at least in Erwins mind, but Mike would only snort at that exclamation, hinting that he only knew half of it, saw only the light and not the darkness, but figuring that this was enough.

Everything else was personal and they got along so well, because they respected their boundaries aside from the occasional ‘crude joke’ Erwin thought, as he fumbled with his mobile phone in one hand, trying to keep Levi in check with the other, feeling like he was play wrangling with a small child. Since typing won’t work with one hand and being shuffled around, by a small pushing and pulling frame, the blond gave up and pressed the call button on a whim, listening to the beeping and wondering, if this was actually a good idea. 

“Erwin? What’s up? It’s like 8 a.m. in the morning on my day off, thanks for that.” came a grouchy voice and a lighter voice in the background groaned softly “Sorry, honey, one moment.” Mike apologized right away to his wife.

“Mike, I might need your guidance on something.” Erwin admitted, still struggling with a crying Levi, who wrangled himself in a panic, fighting against Erwins grip. 

“Uh-uh” it came from the other side, more amused than actually bothered, enjoying the cry for help a bit too much, probably seeing it as a joke. 

“I am serious, Mike, I-“ Suddenly Levi broke free from Erwins grasp, crying out as he fell to the ground, although pulling himself up rather quickly to scrabble away, to what seemed to be the direction of ‘Levi’s room’. He was still sobbing apologies over and over again, whimpering in panic over how he wasn’t a good omega for thinking about ‘this’ , whatever ‘this’ was and that ‘this’ couldn’t happen. 

The words spilled frantically out of Levi’s mouth, Erwin was overwhelmed with the situation, only sure that he had to prevent his mate from reaching ‘his’ room or something terrible would happen. 

He almost lost balance, while shooting forward to catch Levi again, he dragged him firmly against his chest with one arm, crooning softly, before he was able to hold the phone to his ear again.

“What the fuck his happening, Erwin? What the fuck are you doing?” Mike's voice echoed through the phone, sounding concerned and actually angry at his friend. 

“Please just come over, Mike! Fucking please, I don’t know what to do.” 

After hearing Mike’s grunted affirmation, Erwin hung up, clutching Levi in his arms and sitting down on the ground with him. He gently rocked the shivering body forwards and backwards in a steady rhythm to calm his mate down, kissing the crown of his hair and humming a sweet simple tune like a lullaby. 

“Everything will be alright, Levi, a friend will soon be here. He is nice, you will like him. He can help, I am sure he can.” Erwin whispered softly and waited, sitting there on the ground with a bruised up crying omega in his arms. Mike would fucking kill him.

Levi wasn't really paying attention, his mind was reeling, while he tried to orientate himself. Erwin wouldn't let him go to 'his' bathroom, even though he just wanted to hide away. 

He wasn't reliable at the moment and might as well been worrying his alpha sick, but Erwin's feelings coming through the bond, got lost in the whirlwind of his anxiety. He sobbed frantically, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling at the strands, knotting them around his fingers for better leverage. He almost missed Mike's entry, if it wasn't for the scent around him changing and his conversation with Erwin flew right over his head.

"Do I even wanna know how you ended up in this situation?" Mike snarled, gaze hard and unimpressed, as he arrived, closing the bathroom door behind himself. Erwin just shrugged his shoulders helplessly, trying to explain as best as he could, leaving out some delicate details about his own shortcomings. Like how he had ravaged Levi like a beast during rut, but the battered struggling body in his arms, obviously spoke for itself. 

Mike wasn't happy about the situation presented to him at all, but choose to not address Erwin's obvious major fuck ups just yet. 

"So that's your mate? Had something else in mind for a first meeting." Mike confirmed, just in case, coming closer slowly, before crouching down opposite the pair of them. 

"That's Levi." Erwin supplied, trying to keep Levi from dashing away.

Mike's scent was reeled in and subdued, since he had just been with Nana, before Erwin woke him from his slumber. Nanaba was out in the kitchen, making tea, waiting for Mike to do, whatever he had to do. 

Levi's distress was basically stinking up the entire apartment, a sour taste in the other alpha's mouth, but Mike wasn't one to judge.

"Let him go." Mike said, registering Levi's need to run.

"But…" Erwin objected, but stopped right away to object the moment Mike glared at him. He had asked his best friend for help, so Mike sure would know better. After all they outnumbered Levi right now. 

The moment the alpha stopped touching him, Levi curled himself up as small and as tight, as a coil spring. He didn't even consider to run, the two different alpha scents, scaring him.

His litany of apologies had turned to full on sobbing and hiccuping, making it hard to breathe. Inside his head the omega was screeching. 

Two alpha's meant danger. 

Another alpha in the room with his mate meant a fight, or at least more danger, the situation overwhelming Levi.

"Levi." The stranger's voice was calm and soothing, but his mistrust overrode these attributes. At least Mike didn't touch him, it would only make the omega lash out.

"There's nothing here to be afraid of and whatever you see or hear right now, despite my voice, is just inside your head." Mike stated the facts, receiving a violent snorting noise from the omega, kicking out in the general direction of Mike's voice.

Whoever the other alpha was, he was already a piece of shit indicating Levi was going nuts. He was very much aware that Kenny's toxic words weren't reality right at that moment. The old geezer was very, very dead after all - thank you very much. 

But what the fuck should the stupid alpha know, not having walked in Levi's boots for even a quarter of a mile. Erwin was tearing at his own hair in frustration, from the cacophony of mixed up emotions, that lapped at his consciousness in waves. Mike however wasn't even fazed by the omega's bad behaviour, just sitting there, waiting patiently for the adrenaline in the omega's body to fizzle out. 

He had chosen not to quench the obvious fear. The human body couldn't hold up a peak of panic or anxiety for longer than 25 minutes to a maximum of 45 minutes, while it was still possible to feel bad afterwards, or even bone deep tired. At least the omega's head would clear enough to be able to listen, negotiating right now on any ground would only prolong the omega's suffering, because it would distract his attention.

Erwin watched Levi’s panic, absolutely helpless and hated the feeling. He wanted to make it stop, anything to make him feel better, but Mike stopped him with a hand gesture, as soon as he tried to reach out for his mate. 

“But-“ Erwin whisper shouted, looking at Mike, eyes darting over to the crouching frame on the ground. “We need to calm him down!” 

“No.” Mike replied calm and plain, leaving Erwin to fight with his urge to act. He wanted to yell at his friend, asking how he was supposed to just do that. That he had it easy to say such things, because it wasn’t his mate suffering right in front of his eyes. 

Mike knew the feelings rummaging through his friend, knew the helplessness, but there was nothing aside from waiting, that they could do. So both men sat there in silence, contemplating their own thoughts. 

Erwin was frustrated, but chose to listen, since he had been the one to call for help and received it now, although he was skeptical about the method used. 

Mike seemed to be always calm, but the trust in his longtime friend was deeply shattered. He considered himself one of the few people, who actually knew Erwin, but apparently this wasn’t the case. He would have never thought that Erwin would succumb to his lowest desires and violate his mate like this.

He didn’t even need to hear what actually happened and the fact that Erwin tried to gloss things over also spoke for itself. 

Although he had noticed that Levi’s issues probably weren’t just Erwin’s work, obviously rooted deeper than that and were now triggered by someone - as overwhelming to put it nicely - as Erwin. The little one had lost faith in alpha’s at a very early stage, possibly growing up with a toxic image of what an omega was worth, and now his own mate proved his horrific view of the world as correct, instead of showing him his real worth and beauty.

Levi crouched forward, sobbing hysterically and exposing his neck. Mike saw the angry red bonding mark surrounded with swollen dark bites and he felt like choking the life out of the blond fuck of an alpha next to him. Biting the bonding mark over and over again, in such a brutal way, to force the omega into submission, was considered despicable, between the ranks of omega rights activists. 

Mike had been supporting them, even before he had gotten together with Nanaba. Erwin had a lot to learn, at least he seemed willing to try, pulling himself together. But if it weren’t for Erwin, - if he wouldn’t know that he was a decent person- he wouldn’t want the alpha, who did that to his own mate, even near Nanaba, or any other omega for that matter. 

Anger, disappointment and shock mixed into his former picture perfect image of Erwin Smith. 

Mike didn’t need to speak a word, Erwin knew that his friend was disgusted by his behavior. His pitiful attempt at glossing his own mess over had failed and it wasn’t a surprise, not even a whole tub full of concealer, would have been able to cover Levi’s bruises up. Seeing Levi like this, it occurred to him, that he might never get his mate’s trust and acceptance back. Not only that, considering Mike’s unusual snarling tone with him, he might have lost a friend, too.

Erwin bowed his head in defeat, pulling his knees to his chest, his own pain fueled with Levi's anxiety and despite being surrounded by his most important people, he felt loneliness creeping up his spine, to consume his life, leaving him hollow, with nothing else than work in his existence. Ironic how this would have been fine with him, just a few days ago.

He couldn't lose Levi and he couldn't lose Mike, so he swore to himself to do everything in his power to keep them in his life. And if this wasn't enough, if he was really a bad person after all, then he didn't deserve those two precious humans in his life and the least he could do, would be to allow them their distance, so they could still be happy.

“It should be over soon” echoed Mike’s voice over his whirling thoughts. Erwin's eyes wandered over to the clock, indicating that indeed almost 45 minutes had passed by now.

  
  


The terror slowly faded from Levi's veins, leaving utter exhaustion in its place. The rushing in his ears slowly receded, snarling voices inside his head quietening, as he kept his knees close to his chest, feeling the snot and tears starting to cake the skin, from where he had pressed his face into them.

The spinning in his head finally stopped, but he still felt lightheaded, as he dared to slowly move his arms out of the uncomfortable fold in front of his chest, trying to cover his exposed neck. 

His fingers brushed along the angry red scent glands, sending spikes of pain up his spine, before settling over them. He didn't dare lift his head right now and refrained from taking a peek through the strands of hair, still plastered to his sweaty face, becoming fully aware of the tense atmosphere,as well as the two alpha's around him.

One smelled like Erwin and was probably ready to rip his head off, should he open his mouth for causing such a scene, which left his legs still trembling. The other alpha was a stranger, who seemed calm, but his smell was making Levi's eyes water. It carried the note of someone bonded happily ever after and he hadn't smelled that, so up close ever before, despite recognizing it straight away. 

Levi barely remembered the brief exchange of words they must have had during his break down. He didn't know what to do, his body was ready to just pass the fuck out and sleep for 3 days straight, it was a miracle he was still awake at all. It had felt like he was about to fucking die and in between the agony, he had almost wished to just vanish or be murdered right on the spot. He hadn't had an attack so bad, since living with Kenny, as a scrawny teen.

"Levi?" Mike's voice was deep and patient, but still made the omega flinch badly, a squeak escaping the raven's lips. 

Levi dared to take a peek at the strange alpha, coming face to face with a giant of a man, much taller than Erwin, even if he was sitting in front of him, with his long legs folded up neatly, dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes. For all he knew, he could be Erwin's giant baby brother or something.

"Are you listening?" Mike implored, still ever so patient, thankfully not using his alpha voice. Levi nodded timidly, eyes wandering restlessly. He was still in Erwin's en-suite from the look of things and he could feel Erwin sitting close, but he was so scared to look at him, afraid of the disgust and disappointment, he would surely see on his mates face.

"That's good. Are you feeling better?" 

Was he? 

Was he feeling better? 

He felt like fucking shit, what kind of question was that even? 

Levi grit his teeth, shuffling away from them both a little, clutching the towel to his naked form. Erwin tried to reach out to him, wanting to offer comfort, but Levi almost fell over himself, in an attempt to scramble into the next best corner of the room. It was a reaction solely based on his instincts, as the omega was still waiting for the storm to hit center, expecting to be hit for not answering. 

Erwin growling in frustration didn't actually help any. 

"It's okay, you don't have to be scared, nobody will hurt you, or wants to hurt you." Mike tried to reassure the frightened omega, glaring at Erwin in the process. Levi observed them closely, eyes wide and big as plates. He wanted to believe them so bad, he really wanted to, but this situation was totally out of his depths. 

Mike kept thinking hard, since Levi obviously wasn't reacting in any way, he would have expected. Usually omega's craved security, after being shaken up so badly, but all Levi did was still try to run. He slowly got up, avoiding harsh movements, as he motioned for Erwin to do the same. The old man's knees cracking, as the alpha got up. Levi made himself smaller in the process, pressing his back rigidly into the wall behind himself.

Mike opened the bathroom door, expecting to be run over, in an attempt to get away as fast as possible, but Levi just watched on warily. 

He couldn't really grasp, what these two blonde fucking idiots were waiting for.

The door remained open, as they both left and for the first time Levi dared to breathe. There were a lot of things he wanted, but he was still frozen in place, almost jumping a foot in the air, as a new scent wafted around the room, when Nanaba stepped inside, carrying a tray.

Levi could smell the other omega and he picked up the scent of Mike on her, as well as the same contentment, he had seen on the giant. 

She was Mike's omega obviously, moving carefully, a soft limp on her right side and a genuine smile on her face, as she came closer, setting down the tray and waiting for Levi's reaction. 

A few garbled sounds came out of his mouth in surprise, his brain still overstimulated and too dumb to make sense. 

"Hi." she held out her hand palm up to him. Levi reached out slowly, fingers trembling. He hadn't met another happy omega, since his mother's passing. 

Nana was a beauty with golden braided hair, soft features and the scar on her cheek didn't even take away from that, or dimmed her positive energy. She might not be pretty in society's eyes, but she seemed like an angel to Levi in that exact moment, working her magic spell on him.


	8. Chapter 8

Erwin watched the scene unfolding in absolute awe, as if there were two angels right in front of him, one glowing in light reaching out to the one with broken wings on the ground. Nanaba was practically glowing, radiating happiness and positivity and Erwin really wanted that for Levi, too, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth, that he might have ruined that forever. 

So he stood there frozen, imprinting the sight in his brain and hating himself even more for fucking up. As if Levi would ever look at him like Nanaba looked at Mike. ‘Soulmates’ it echoed through his head, but then, why had everything about Levi felt so right? Suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder, Erwin was startled by Mike's calm voice throwing him out of his thoughts.

“We should leave them alone for a while. Come on, let’s go, we need to talk, too.” With that Mike led Erwin into the bedroom, the door closing with a click, giving the two omegas their privacy.

“This is probably Levi’s first contact with an omega in a long time. Maybe even his first time, with a happy omega ever and you stare at him like a creep.” Mike added, towering in front of Erwin. Seeing his friend confronting him so directly, he knew he was in for a ride, maybe he would get socked in the face, but knowing Mike this wasn’t his style and it wouldn’t solve anything. Instead Mike sat down on the bed, one big hand going through his long dirty blonde hair, probably not finding any words for the situation, he was faced with or searching for the right point to start, now confronted with Erwin and only Erwin. 

“Nanaba looks happy.” Erwin started in a forced casual tone, his voice a bit too upbeat, giving away his nervousness. 

“She is.” came the plain answer straight away.

“I’m glad.” Erwin murmured absentmindedly.

After the brief exchange uncomfortable silence enveloped them and Erwin started to gain hope, that Mike wouldn’t say anything further on the matter after all, but the moment the bed dipped down under the added weight of the other alpha, as he sat next to his friend, that hope evaporated into thin air. Mike’s jaw clenched, as if he had decided that he would go through with whatever came to his mind. 

“I found cameras in your rooms. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, practically everywhere. I figured, they weren’t yours?” Mike finally prompted. “I will take them down and then we will take a good look at them. And what happened.” the alpha added in an afterthought.

With that said, he stood up and left Erwin alone in the room, before he could have said anything else to retaliate or brush off the situation at hand. Mike didn’t want to talk to him, he wanted the truth and he knew that Erwin would give him an alternative version of the truth. Not completely wrong, but not what truly happened either, drawing a new reality, filled with little lies and heartfelt excuses, as if it would change what had indeed happened. 

Erwin knew all of that, in his brain sentences had already begun to form, to explain away his behavior, hoping to get some sort of absolution, that would lessen the guilt that ate away at him. He could already taste the excuses on the tip of his tongue, ready to fill the gap between them with pretty little lies.

After a surprisingly short amount of time, Mike had returned with a lot of cameras and the laptop, all stacked up neatly in his arms and Erwin couldn't help but wonder, how he had failed to notice something like this in such a quantity. He must have been either blind, or distracted by a sweet scent and an even sweeter omega in front of him. 

Mike set up the laptop and took out the SD cards from the cameras, asking Erwin which rooms they used and the other alpha complied, giving out the answers without a fight, his shoulders hunched, while an anxious feeling clawed at his heart. He didn’t want to see this.

When Mike slotted in the first SD card, it turned out to be the one from the library, the recording showing only Levi at first, the omega all dressed up in his maid costume, looking around and dusting a few books for good measure, with a pretty evident scowl on his face. Although Mike snarled at the obvious fake show, the omega was trying to pull off with little success, he didn't comment on it, even as the omega started to show true signs of distress. 

On the screen seeing them right next to each other, their size difference was even more prominent and the way the alpha handled the crying mess in front of him so roughly, shocked Mike. Erwin would have not recognized himself. Still not saying anything, not even commenting on Hanji’s call, Mike changed the SD card to the one covering footage from the living room, as Erwin instructed him to. 

The picture of them cuddled together, Levi as a little blanket burrito next to him, practically steaming with anger was almost cute, but it didn’t last long and Erwin had buried his head in his hands for a moment, not wanting to watch, how that tall man ravaged the delicate frame beneath him on the couch. His movements were hard and lust driven, with no regard for his chosen mate, who just seemed so lost beneath him, confused even, if he should pull the alpha closer, or try to crawl away. Seeing himself so blissed out the moment his knot popped inside his mate, disgusted Erwin now. Especially since he remembered the words, he had snarled at Levi in that moment. 

"Mine to fuck. Mine to breed." 

Erwin felt like he was about to vomit and gave a tentative look to Mike, who was still focused on the screen, his face contorting into a mask of disgust, a deep growl leaving his throat, as he witnessed the bonding bite. His distant expression could not hide the anger and betrayal bubbling beneath it. Unfortunately for Erwin, his friend didn’t stop watching the footage at this point, when the deed was done. But decided to go through with it, switching SD cards, whenever they changed the room and watching intently.

Mike skipped the scenes, where they were sleeping or bathing together, Erwin mentioning it off hand,ly when and where, as if this would matter at all. If Erwin wouldn’t have known Mike for such a long time, he would have assumed, that the taller alpha was all calm and composed, but the little twitch of his eyebrows, the way he clenched his jaw just a bit more, whenever Levi seemed to find new trust in the strange alpha, only to have it shattered again, by the rut driven haze and the alpha’s possessiveness, that in turn was triggered by the omega’s feisty attitude. 

It must have reminded him of what had happened to his Nana. 

When Mike had finished every video, seen everything on screen, that was left to see and surveyed the entire footage recorded, until the batteries had run out, Erwin was truly scared of his dear friend for the first time.

Instead of rushing into words to redeem himself and his actions, he just sat there and waited for Mike to say or do something. With every second that passed, Erwin wanted him to just punch out his lights, to even out the game somehow, to relieve Erwin from his guilt, although this would never be possible, but it took a while until Mike had found the words he wanted to say. 

“I really thought I knew you.” He began and Erwin immediately wanted to throw in ‘But you do know me! For years!’, but was shut up by Mike instantly, before he could even take a breath to start. “And I was a bit angry, when I figured out that you were mated without telling me. For a brief moment I thought you must have been dating someone and just hadn't told me about it. And being excluded like this hurt enough, but you have no idea how much I wish, that would have been the truth. I could have been playfully angry at you for good measure, for a month maybe and guilt tripped you into buying breakfast for the office for the next, then everything would have been fine and we could have had those romantic couple evenings together.” Mike barked a hollow laugh at that. “You already told me what really happened and I believe you, but don’t you dare assume I am stupid enough to not notice, that you glossed over the whole shit story, because you didn’t want to lose your face in front of me. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need to. I have seen and smelt enough. What in the world possessed you to do this to him? I thought your mother raised you better than that! What had this omega done to you, that would make your actions even remotely okay!” Mike bellowed.

“I already told you I was in rut. I lost control.”

Mike crossed his arms in front of his chest, his upper arm muscles stretching the fabric of his shirt to the limit, reminding Erwin, that his hunk of a friend could easily knock the life out of anything and anyone, as well as that Mike occasionally liked to show off his strength to get his point across. A subtle warning so to say. 

“Did it feel good while you did it?”

Erwin opened his mouth to immediately say no, defend himself, because he regretted deeply and truly, what he had done, the way he had one it, the guilt eating him alive. But looking Mike straight in the eye, he crumbled under the other alpha's glare, lying won’t make it better. Lying won’t prevent it from happening in the future. And he wanted a future with Levi. 

Wanted to hold him without being afraid to go into rut again, the moment Levi's smell started to turn sweeter. But Erwin choked on his words, not able to speak out aloud, that yes in that moment it felt good, it felt amazing and powerful, his omega beneath him like that, having to take it. He felt too ashamed and disgusted with himself. 

“I will never let this happen again. Next time, I will-“ Erwin stammered instead, but got cut off quickly by Mike again. 

“Next time?” he snorted. “I bet you told this to yourself, too, in between. Whenever you were sated, you felt sorry, but the moment he smelt so pretty, but mouthed off against you, you pounded him down again.” the dirty blonde, pointed out icily.

“But I am out of rut and I know that now, I would never hurt him-“ Erwin argued.

“Next time? And what will happen, when he goes into heat again and smells like a treat, begging for his alpha's fat knot to fill him up? You go straight into rut again. The omega will remember the last time, he will panic and you will lash out again, because he isn’t a good bitch to breed. And then you can take your sorry excuses down to hell, because I will be there to end you!” Mike snarled at Erwin, his gaze fixed on the other male, making sure he knew that he was dead serious.

  
  
  


Nanaba didn't shy away from Levi, allowing his trembling fingertips to hesitantly touch the palm of her hand, before he plucked up the courage to put his hand in hers.

"I'm Nanaba, but you can call me Nana. You are Levi right?" she asked softly, getting a scratchy sounding "Yeah." out of the other omega.

"It's okay. You must be feeling terribly dear. I brought you some ginger tea and soup. I can help you clean up a little, if you want. How does that sound?" Levi covered his mouth in awe, eyes big and tearing up a little. Nobody had ever shown so much care upon meeting him, without any ulterior motives, except for his mom, even though he can hardly recall her face by now.

Nana waited patiently for Levi's agreement, before filling a bowl with lukewarm water, grabbing a sponge and getting to work. She made slow soft movements, never leaving Levi's eyes and cleaned him up gently. She didn't want to scare him further, knowing fully well herself, how draining panic attacks were.

She wrapped him up in a fresh towel, before leaving shortly, to pick up clothes and a blanket, making sure Levi knew that she wasn't skipping out on him. 

She passed Erwin and Mike, only making eye contact briefly with her alpha. Mike could understand her, even without words. She didn't address Erwin, feeling too afraid and hesitant now towards her friend. She had always thought Erwin was a good guy, but seeing the evidence all across Levi's skin, made her doubt it and in turn avoid him. She knew first hand how cruel misguided alpha's were, but had never expected Erwin to be one of those knot minded shitheads. She snatched a candy bar out of her purse, after picking up all she would need, before hurrying back to Levi.

His eyes shot up instantly, as she opened the door and entered and his shoulders visibly relaxed upon seeing her. She helped Levi dress, apologizing for the oversized clothes from Erwin's dresser; she had noticed the lack of Levi's personal stuff instantly, wondering if he even had any, or if she could help him retrieve them, from wherever they were stored. As a finishing touch, she put some of her own knitted fluffy socks on his feet. He was so fragile, that even Nana's small stuff was loose on him, but then again, he wasn't that tall. Levi touched the pastel colored bunny socks with a look of wonder.

"Do you like them? I made them, you can keep them." she said, before dragging the tray closer, letting Levi drink the tea and spoon up the soup.

"Thank you." Levi's voice was low and still scratchy, as if he caught a cold, making Nana drag up the hood of the hoodie, to cover his damp hair.

"Don't mention it, it's fine. I can make you some more, anytime. I hope they are fluffy enough." She smiled. Should she be getting cold feet during the day, or on the way home, she could always ask Mike to warm her up, he wouldn't mind.

"They are very fluffy." Levi mumbled shyly, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped his eyes. While Levi ate slowly, Nana took care of his visible injuries, putting arnica cream on his bruises, asking him if anything hurt, but Levi shook his head. 

He was way too tired to take stock of himself. She bandaged his left wrist anyway, because the black and blue bruises looked really painful. Levi didn't mind. He watched her skillful fingers work, speaking of experience. He was still dazzled, afraid Nana would vanish, if he gave into his tiredness. She opened her arms readily, offering him a hug and Levi keeled right over, his small frame coming to rest against her soft body, feeling her arms enveloping him. It reminded him so much of his mom, that it almost hurt and he held on tight, crying into her chest. Nana let him, rubbing soothing circles into his back without complaining. 

"It's okay. Let it all out." She murmured, grasping at strings to come up with something helpful. If she could, she would ask Mike to take Levi back to their place, at least for the next few days. He probably wouldn't feel safe here with Erwin.

"Is there anything I can do? A place we can take you, or somewhere we can pick up your things for you? I want to help, Levi." She asked the crying omega on her chest, but Levi just shrugged his trembling shoulders.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do." Levi hiccuped, as he finally dropped his fake bravado and opened up his floodgates to Nana. She listened patiently to his fears and worries, to his story about meeting Erwin and anything else, he literally word vomited onto her in a whisper, afraid Erwin would hear otherwise.

"It's okay, Levi. You have every right to be scared and overwhelmed. You don't have to make a decision right now about anything. Take your time to think about it." she said gently, carding her fingers through his raven hair.

  
  
  


The silence between Mike and Erwin was interrupted by Nanaba passing through, looking over to Mike briefly, but avoiding eye contact with Erwin completely, her eyes darted away quickly. 

As she had left again, Mike chose not to comment on her behaviour, completely understanding his wife’s distrust toward the former family friend. Erwin’s heart broke further, realization coming through, how much was on the line. If he didn’t fix this, somehow, if he couldn’t redeem himself… how can you fix something like this? 

His thoughts tumbled over one another, frantically repeating themselves inside his head, not coming to a conclusion.

There was no way. 

Mike proceeded to ask Erwin more questions, not exactly wanting to know in great detail, what he had already seen unfolding on screen, Erwin had done to his mate. Still he needed to know, if there were any severe injuries, that he might have overlooked. With every word uttered, it got more and more difficult for Mike to get the images out of his head, combined with the cleaned over, but for him still slightly noticeable scent of blood, semen, anger and despair in the air. 

Levi's heat had ended early and Mike didn't need to be a doctor, he knew what that could imply and Erwin knew it too. If he would actually stop to think shit through and turn his attention to what might bother his mate, instead of only thinking about what bothered himself. But empathy was never Erwins forte. 

Levi was probably scared shitless at the thought of being knocked up by a stranger, full of panic and desperation, since he couldn’t rely on his alpha to support him. He prayed that Nanaba could give him back some hope. There was a silver lining, that the trauma caused by Erwin's attack had stunted his heats progress, but it was pretty small. 

“Does Levi have any place to go?” Mike broke the silence, although he already suspected the answer. There was no one missing the little omega even after four days. 

“He doesn’t need to go. His state was bad, when we were separated, while I was at work. I would like him to stay… for his own good.” Erwin answered, fidgeting with his fingers at Mike’s absolutely awestruck expression, like he just said something unbelievable offending, but he didn’t understand. He was only concerned for Levi’s well-being and having been witness to what happened, when he had left last time, he couldn’t risk putting him in danger, by throwing him out – rejecting him. 

Weren’t bonded mates supposed to be together after all? 

Mike wanted to smack Erwin's head against the wall to get some sense into the dense alpha, just when he felt that they were making some small progress. One step forward, three steps back. Apparently being so engrossed in work, never thinking about anything else in his life, suppressing not only his needs, but also himself as a person outside the office, Erwin was unable to give up control. 

Now as a freshly mated alpha, that was rejected by his omega, possessiveness wound its way into his brain. He failed to realize that currently, he is the only danger for Levi.

Instead he chose to excuse his behavior, with what society deemed appropriate for an alpha to do to his mate, leaving him feeling entitled to it.

“You are not his only option, Erwin.” Mike began to call him out– he really didn’t want to call the other alpha out on his behavior, to avoid a fight, but some things needed to be said. “He can return to wherever he came from, although that doesn’t seem to be in his favour, we are not to judge, if he would choose to do so. And yes, he could stay with you, if he wants to. But he could also go to an omega house of the activists. If you weren’t my…" - Mike had to hesitate, he really didn’t want to call him that anymore - " well, friend, he would already be there. He could also stay with Nana and me, since they seem to get along fairly well. We wouldn’t mind.”

Erwin gulped, not really liking the thought, that Levi might leave him – reject him – would be safer without him. 

His omega living with another alpha, even if it was Mike, who he knew, he didn’t like it at all. But if this would be the only way to see Levi smile again, to have a chance to see Levi smile at him again, then he would endure it. 

Because it was exactly like Mike had previously pointed out. 

“Just because you are an alpha, you are not allowed to control Levi. He is his own person and he can make the decision, what is best for him, all by himself. He is allowed to always change his mind about it. It is up to Levi, Erwin, and you have to accept that.”

  
  
  


Levi had no idea how much time had passed, before he stopped babbling at Nana and his tears had run dry for now. He was so fucking tired, but couldn't allow himself to sleep. His eyes kept dropping, as Nana kept fluffing through his hair, she offered him the candy bar with a smile, hoping the short lived sugar high would help Levi decide. He looked at her in wonder, knowing sweets were expensive, hence why he never had any. He struggled to peel off the plastic wrapper with nimble fingers and Nana helped him, observing how the omega's eyes almost popped out of his head in bliss, as the sweet stuff hit him.

"I'm sorry, if it tastes a little off, I have been carrying it around in my purse for a few days already. But I always find it helpful to treat myself after feeling bad." She explained, fingers never stopping in their soft caress. Levi only managed half of it, before handing it back to Nana, so she could have the rest. It was hers after all and he was afraid he would throw it back up, if he ate too much of it. She didn't comment on it, just tucked the blanket tighter around his shoulders. Levi was halfway sitting on her lap by now, but she didn't mind at all, letting him rest his head on her shoulder.

"So tired." Levi huffed eventually, twisting some of the fabric of Nana's shirt between his fingers anxiously.

"Mike can take you to your place, if you feel saver there. You could crash in our guestroom for a few nights, if you like and if neither is your cup of tea, we could drive you to the nearest omega house. They will keep you safe. Alpha's are not allowed in there, they only have betas on staff." Nana explained.

"No omega house. Is bad. Please, no!" Levi whined into her neck. 

Kenny had said, his mother had died in an omega house and despite having no recollection of being in the facility with his mother, everything inside of him resented the idea. He didn't want to die. 

"It's okay, you don't have to. They are not that bad anymore and we wouldn't bring you to a bad place, I pinky promise." Nana held out her pinky, winding it around Levi's deft fingers. "My friend owns an omega house and she is the best person I know, apart from Mike." She affirmed softly.

"My house?" Levi questioned, more than said. It was a huge risk to bring anyone, especially since he was weak and feeling so off kilter and vulnerable. He had no idea if anyone would be waiting with a loaded gun for him to turn up, but he didn't know where else to go.

"Of course we can take you there." Curiosity made her eyes shine, wondering where Levi had come from. He had told her briefly about his career in breaking and entering, but not for one second did she worry, he would steal from her. After all, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Nana helped him stand on wobbly legs, since she couldn't carry him, but asking Mike to do so, might make Erwin angry, or scare Levi even further.

Levi followed her out of the bathroom, avoiding both alpha's all together, who were still talking quietly, as Nana led him to the kitchen, where she picked up her purse, before guiding him down the hallway to the front door. She kept herself between Levi and the alpha's at all times, afraid Erwin would pull something like a wild dash. 

Thankfully he didn't, he just kept looking at them like a kicked puppy, with his hands clenched into fists, from the bedroom doorway. Levi briefly wondered where the stuff he had worn and carried initially, upon entering Erwin's apartment disappeared to. It would be good to have at least his knife on him, but no such luck. His eyes came up empty, his backpack gone and nothing to grab. He felt too drained to go through the humiliation of begging Erwin to hand him back his stuff. He just hoped, that should anybody wait to put a hole between his eyes, he better make it a clean fast job. 

Mike followed them, after having gotten permission from Erwin to destroy the SD cards, as well as getting rid of the cameras in the process. Would the alpha had made any other decision, like keeping the cameras installed or asking to keep the recordings, he would have socked Erwin in the face after all. 

Mike was keeping his distance for now, as the trio stumbled into the elevator. 

Nana had yet to tell him where they would go, but a part of him was glad Levi had chosen to leave. 

Levi was leaning on the rail heavily, legs shaking. Moving still hurt and despite Nana's soup, he was still badly out of nutrition after his heat. 

Mike wanted to sweep the little pile of misery up but refrained. He patiently waited for Nana to pick their car up, which she did in a hurry, before offering Levi his hand to help him crawl into the backseat. Levi took his sweet time, before allowing the giant to touch him. Mike kept it as professional and impersonal as he could, even if his heart was aching at the sight of the omega.

"Where are we off to?" Mike asked, after taking shotgun. 

"Levi's house." Nana offered, before putting the car in drive. Levi had whispered his address to her, while they waited for Mike to catch up with them in the elevator.

  
  


Erwin's world stood still, as he saw Levi for what might be the last time. So he decided to leave, not even bothering to tell him where to, probably as a safety precaution, scared that the alpha would hunt him down and drag him back. He took in every inch of Levi, imprinting every little detail into his brain. 

This was his mate. From the soft black undercut, to the stormy gray eyes, not even looking at him, the little nose and pointed chin and down to the skinny frame, hugged by too large clothing and his cute little feet covered in adorable fluffy socks. 

Erwin didn’t want to let him go, he wanted to dash forward and snatch his mate back, wanted him to stay forever and cuddle him for the rest of their lives. Instead he just stood there, clenching his fists and had to accept that whatever hell Levi came from, he’d rather go back there than stay with him, or rather even choose to stay with complete strangers, trusting them more than his mate. After all, Erwin didn’t know for sure, where Levi was going, but it didn’t really matter, the fact that he left, tore his heart apart. 

Barely registering the door clicking shut, the blond still stood there, staring blankly down the hallway. He needed time to process what just happened, what happened this weekend, how his structured life had turned upside down with the thief, that didn’t steal his treasure’s, but surely robbed him of his heart. 

After a while Erwin started to keep his mind of the matter, busying himself with meaningless tasks, cleaning up his kitchen - although cleaning of course reminded him of Levi again. Feeling a pang of sadness, as he stored away the package of fancy black tea, that he bought especially for Levi, in the back of the cupboard, so he wouldn’t accidentally reach for it, when he wanted to brew himself a cup of coffee.

In his living room, Erwin found the remains of Levi’s maid dress crumbled under his couch. Seeing the torn material, stained with precum and slick, considering the painful memories, he decided that he would just throw it away, not wanting to confront Levi or himself with that ever again. After all he could buy him a new one, if his mate wanted to renew the memory in a more positive fashion. Bitterly chuckling at the picture in his head Erwin tossed the garment down the trash slot. Finally the only room left was Levi’s room and he contemplated even going in there, afraid of what he might find, but also feeling like he would invade the others privacy, even if the omega had already left. 

Thinking back and forth, he came to the conclusion that he didn’t want the room to just decay, just in case that Levi might consider returning to him, so he took a deep breath, before entering ‘Levi’s room’. 

There was not much to clean up, but Erwin sorted every item that was left there regardless, mainly cleaning products and folded the many fluffy towels neatly. No matter how he rearranged the stuff, Erwin realized that this was by no means a place for an omega to live, more like an improvised prison. 

But Levi would need a safe space just for himself when – if – he returned. So Erwin made it his mission to plan out a solution for this problem so to say. He decided to not tell Mike or Nana about this, afraid he would seem too overbearing and desperate, even if it was just the way he felt. Erwin wondered, if the two would notify him about Levi’s well being, if they would stay in contact with Levi and maybe, hopefully, keep him updated, even if it was just the information that his mate was being cared for. He wondered if he should call, wanted to call immediately, show that he truly cared, but that might seem predatory and clingy.

The alpha was truly confused at how to behave, what was considered acceptable and what was simply too much, in his need to dedicate his heart to his mate. 

Closing the blinds, Erwin decided to go to sleep early, but then his eyes fell on the backpack in the corner of his bedroom. Fueled by curiosity, he peeked inside, affirming that this was indeed Levi’s. Not able to stop, Erwin quickly found himself rummaging through the contents of the backpack. A black hoodie and a pair of almost kid sized jeans, a few hygienic items like handkerchiefs and hand sanitation, but also a mobile phone, which was of course locked. Unfortunately to the alpha's dismay, Levi was smart enough to not use 1234 as a pin code. ‘Pity’ Erwin thought, before suddenly pushing the stuff back inside like it burned him, together with the knife, that Leci had been carrying that day, still laying next to him on the bed. 

This was exactly what he shouldn’t do, what Mike meant by his controlling alpha tendencies, that he had to learn to keep in check, if he ever wanted to just take a look at Levi again. Feeling shame rise up again, he closed the backpack again and carried it out of his room into ‘Levi’s room’, intending to give it back to him somehow. Maybe he could give Mike a call tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a small sad note is: I wrote the last paragraph of this huge fic this week and I cried. But a lot more to come for all of you, hence I still have to edit at least 10 more chapters or more. Please don't give up on us just yet!  
The bad note in this is, something on my computer broke like a few minutes ago and I will need some time to fix it, so because of this, the next updates might be late or showing up in badly editing (as in not enough spaces set.) I can upload from my phone but it will ruin the good editing I did. So just a small warning.

The drive was silent for the most part, Mike was observing their surroundings, the more they turned down roads to the seedier parts of town. He knew Levi was obviously not coming from a neighborhood of poptarts, rainbows and fucking unicorns, but the outskirts, held entire blocks of streets, that were secretly labeled no-go areas, that not even police roamed in broad daylight. 

It put the alpha a little on edge, considering Levi was still a shaking mess in the backseat, as he directed Nana, his words barely above a trembling whisper. 20 minutes far away from Erwin's noble apartment, Levi told her to stop. 

The house was barely a house at all, more like a half collapsed structure, ready to fall apart, windows nailed shut, rusty barbed wire hung in between the fence posts. It could be straight out of a horror or zombie movie, screaming death, decay and stay away, to everybody who approached. 

Levi stopped Nanaba from leaving the car, the moment she reached for the door handle, too scared she might get hurt.

"Don't, please." The day had been too exhausting, to even let himself feel embarrassed about his living arrangements. He didn't know what to expect inside. Levi took a few moments stealing himself, before timidly asking for Mike to follow him. The alpha nooded, stepped out and waited for Levi to show him the way, while Nana locked the doors back up.

"Do you want me to go first?" Mike offered.

"No, just follow a few steps back and possibly lay low, should there be anything happening." Levi mumbled, rubbing his neck anxiously. The pain of his scent glands helped him to keep focus. He could be walking right to his death right now. 

Maybe it would have been better to send Mike and Nana off? He didn't want them to get hurt or caught up in his misery.

The lock and bolt on the door were broken open, allowing a screeching sound from the hinges echoing through, the moment Levi pushed the door open entirely. Someone obviously had already been here. He closed his eyes in anticipation to be greeted by gunfire immediately, the moment he blindly switched on the hallway light, expecting the pain of bullets to pierce his body, but nothing happened. He did a quick scan of the rooms that were still accessible, the staircase already being way too dangerous to allow him to the upper floor, without it collapsing under his feet. 

It was empty, nobody was waiting for them, but it was a fucking mess. Stuff turned over, furniture smashed, his dingy mattress slashed open multiple times, with a knife still sticking in there.

The visitor must have been angry and probably already had a bounty out on his head.

There was nothing of face value to be found anyway and apart from destruction, and a few obviously missing weapons, nothing seemed amiss. 

Mike cringed at the sight.

"You sure, you wanna stay here, Levi?" The alpha asked hesitantly.

"No." Levi mumbled, dragging his duffle out of the mess. On the floor.

"Fucking filthy pigs. Taking all my artillery." He mumbled angrily, as he put together the most useful and still salvageable items of his belongings. 

Most of his clothes were slashed, which - really thanks a fucking bunch! - pissed him off. There was barely anything worth saving, except some documents from the steel box mounted under a floorboard, the fuckers hadn't found. It barely held 100 dollars in cash, a picture of his mom with Kenny, from before he was born and the suppressant benzo pens he had stolen. 

He threw it into his duffle, along with a pair of shorts and a sweater, that were still mostly intact but filthy as fuck, before following Mike back outside.

He truly felt fucked over, his money gone, his life turned upside down and now even the small possessions to his name, were nothing but trash.

"Could you…" Levi hesitated, as they stood in front of the car. "Could I stay with you for a few nights?" He finally asked shyly. 

"Of course, no problem." Mike amended, helping Levi back in the car, seeing him sack in the backseat and asleep within only minutes of Nana driving back to their home. The omega was out cold, possibly drained to the bone, so Mike carried him inside gently, before leaving Nana in charge of tucking him in and going to the kitchen, for some much needed tea and to text Erwin. He at least owed the bastard that much.

Not even fully asleep, Erwin was startled by the brief buzzing of his phone, indicating that he had received a message. As he noticed it was Mike texting, he struggled to unlock his phone with trembling fingers.

'Levi is safe.' it read. Nothing more, nothing less. No location, nor anything else than this simple information. Erwin still appreciated that he was notified at all and refrained from bombarding Mike with questions, instead typing ‘thank you for everything.' as a response. He wanted to leave it at that, afraid that he might overdo it again, driven by worry and grief, but then he remembered Levi’s backpack. So he typed another message.

‘While cleaning up I found Levi’s backpack. If you still have contact with him and he wants it back, you can come pick it up anytime.’

Not even a minute later Mike replied.

‘Sure, will do. I’ll be back in a moment.’, leaving Erwin with the suspicion that Levi must still be in close distance to Mike, maybe he even had accepted their invitation to stay with them. Swallowing down his envy, Erwin decided to check his apartment again for anything that belonged to Levi – maybe Levi would like the black tea, he bought for him the other day? Even if his mate probably wouldn’t accept it, the thought counted and Erwin decided to put it in Levi’s backpack, too.

Levi was still fast asleep when Mike received Erwin’s text, so the giant man tiptoed through the house, not wanting to wake the omega up.

“Nana?” he whispered, while he grabbed his wool coat again. “Erwin texted me, that he still has some of Levi’s stuff laying around, so I'll go pick it up real quick. Should I bring anything from the supermarket?” Although his wife declined with a warm smile, Mike made the mental note to bring home some of her favorite flowers and maybe some chocolate, as a treat for all of her hard work today. After all, this much progress with Levi wouldn’t have been possible without her and he wanted to thank her for her efforts.

Maybe they could show Levi that the relationship between an alpha and an omega could be something wonderful, full of healing and about supporting each other. That a true alpha uses his dominant giving nature to provide and protect, instead of using their superior strength to just take. 

After a while Mike arrived at Erwin’s apartment, using his spare key to get in, since the other didn’t respond to the ringing doorbell. His search didn’t take long, sniffing out the other alpha’s scent and finding him kneeling on the floor in Levi’s room, directly in front of Levi’s backpack, which was still open. Proof, that Erwin wasn’t able to control himself and obviously didn’t even try as well, when he was looking through his mate’s stuff the moment he left. Mike wanted to call his behavior out yet again, this time harsher and without the initial kindness, since neither Nana nor Levi were close by and a factor to take into consideration, never wanting to scare either omega.

“Someone called him, several times, but I can’t see who it was.” Erwin whispered quietly, eyes fixed intently on the phone, waiting for the display to lighten up again almost obsessively.

“Well, it’s none of our fucking business. Put the phone back, so I can get the stuff back to Levi.” Mike snarled, holding out his hand in demand for the backpack. Just as Erwin moved to put back the phone, even though he did it reluctantly, the screen lit up again and the phone buzzed, signaling an incoming call. Without thinking Erwin picked up, not saying a word. 

“Seven days!” an unknown distorted voice said, before immediately hanging up again. 

Instead of scolding Erwin for disrespecting his omega’s privacy again, Mike scrambled down to Erwins level, looking over his shoulder, eyes wide. 

“Who did call?” Mike followed the movement of Erwin’s fingers on the cheap touchscreen. ‘Unknown’ was the only thing they could find out. They couldn’t track it back, since the number had been repressed. Sweat started to form on Mike’s sleeve, remembering the slashed up mattress and completely torn apart home Levi was faced with. Suddenly he jumped up, barely hearing Erwin’s calls, scrambling to get the backpack and snatching the phone from the other alpha's hand. He needed to get home and he needed to get home, as fast as he could. Levi was in danger. Which in turn meant, Nana was in danger, too. 

“I need to go home.” he told Erwin, already running through the hallway, Erwin close behind. 

“Mike, wait!” Erwin screeched all over again “Stop!” his voice was filled with panic, worried sick and afraid for his mate, but Mike had already left, dashed out of the door, barely hearing the “Didn’t you think the voice was familiar?” Erwin yelled after him.

So Levi was indeed staying with Mike, otherwise the other alpha - although he must feel sincere sympathy for Levi - wouldn’t have been this scared, unless Nana was in danger. Sickness choked Erwin with an iron grip around his heart, realizing that his mate was involved in shit so deep, that someone wanted to kill him from the sound of it. His brain jumping to the ultimate worst case scenario and not even bothering with an alternative.

He didn’t believe for a moment, that this might be a prank, although he had both seen The Ring and Scary Movie, it was far more likely, that someone was - aside from also having a crude sense of humor – dead serious about the matter.

  
  


Levi woke to the bang of the front door, hitting the wall, as Mike rushed back inside, sick with fear of what he might find. The noise startled the omega so much, he let out an involuntary scream in response, fingers clutching the blanket in an iron grip, as he swirled around to face the door, expecting the worst. His eyes not used to the darkness of the room, he was in and having no memory of how he got there, made him scan everything over hastily, looking for anything he could use as a weapon.

The scream alerted Mike, as Nana came rushing out of the living room barefooted. The alpha was so glad to see her in one piece, he almost wanted to cry.

“Mike? What’s wrong?” she asked, looking bewildered at her alpha, feeling his thick worry translating through their bond.

“God!” he huffed, looking apologently at her, while closing the door and double locking it. “I’m sorry.” he said in a rush, before approaching the guest room. His omega gave him a wary look, that spoke volumes of ‘We are so going to talk about this later!’

Nana would have told him, if anyone would have entered or stopped by in his absence, so he obviously must have scared Levi. 

They both entered the guest room together, turning the light on, immediately. Levi was sitting up in the bed, looking shell shocked.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, Levi.” Mike apologized yet again, to the shaking omega, letting Nana step forward to sit next to Levi, soothing him with her scent.

“It’s okay. Mike was in a hurry and banged the door open.” she stressed, trying to sound as sincere as possible, despite lying. Even when Mike was indeed in a hurry, he usually didn’t come back banging doors, so whatever happened must have been bad. 

“I did pick up your stuff from Erwin’s.” Mike offered, coming closer to hand over Levi’s backpack.

“Thank you.” Levi stuttered, grabbing for it and opening it slowly. At least his alpha, had been considerate to hand him back his stuff. 

It still tasted bitter in his mouth to be Erwin’s mate. He peeked inside, finding his wallet, cellphone and even his beloved knife, which in turn was buried under a sweater. Nana had been looking over his shoulder and turned pale upon seeing the weapon, which in turn made Mike sniff the air for danger, but Levi was just obviously confused and a lot sad, according to his smell at least.

Levi pulled out the teabox, not remembering owning something so fancy, before handing it over to Nana and closing the backpack back up. He didn’t check his phone, it was possibly out of charge anyway and he wasn't expecting any new jobs. 

He might have missed some meetings, but Nile could go fuck himself and Farlan knew, not to expect anything, unless Levi offered or signaled, that he was free, to run errands for the blond. He hadn’t met Farlan in the past 4 months and the blond bulldog hadn't called. He wasn’t the type to go trashing Levi’s place, opposed to a certain brown haired nightmare that is.

“Could you?” Levi pointed the tea out for Nana, with almost puppy dog eyes. It smelled like the one, Erwin used to make for him every day and he actually could use a cup to collect himself. If he didn’t get a hang on things soon and stopped being an emotional rollercoaster, he would only have to face more problems, then he already was.

“Of course.” Nana said, hurrying out to the kitchen.

“Do I want to know, what’s in there, that made my mate turn as white as a ghost?” Mike asked. It wasn’t his business to snoop, but after everything he had learned about Levi today, who still was merely a stranger to him, he was expecting the worst.

“It’s not a gun, just a knife. Sorry for bringing this into your home.” Levi murmured, bowing his head out of respect to the alpha and to let Mike know, he was sincere and held no ill intentions.

“I’m not a fan of weaponry in my home, but we do have 2 guns locked away for self defense. Just so you know. If you plan on pulling any shit, I won’t hesitate to get one.” Mike said sternly, without malice. He didn’t want a fight, or for Levi to fear him, but some boundaries had to be set.

“Duly noted.” Levi whispered, rubbing a hand across his still tired face. The tea would hopefully help him go back to sleep.

“I hope to not be in your hair for too long. Thank you for your hospitality, however.” Levi mumbled, grateful he hadn’t had to sleep on the streets that night.

“Don’t mention it.” Mike excused himself to join Nana, who was stepping the tea, to fill her in on what happened at Erwin’s place. 

She didn’t like the guns in the house, but would use one, if she really had to. She just didn't like the fact of Levi having a knife at hand.

“I would feel better if the knife would be out of his hands, he seems so emotionally charged right now, we don’t want him doing something he might regret later.” she shakily whispered to Mike, with a pointed look.

“He’s not the type for this kind of stuff, stop worrying darling. I’m really sorry for upsetting you earlier, it wasn’t my intention.” he gently kissed her forehead, before leaving to the corner store, to actually pick up some of the stuff he initially wanted to bring along. It would take him all of 5 minutes, before he returned. Meanwhile Levi was still awake with a fucking knife at his disposal, so even if someone would manage to get there and get in, within this short moment of time, Levi would most likely just go highwire and murder them, given how frightened he had been. Mike was sure he had seen something akin to lust for blood in the omega’s gaze, when he bursted into his room without any notice. Considering the shit Levi was involved in, he probably had no morals to take a life, if he had to, if he wasn’t already doing it for a living, that is. Mike wouldn't put it past him.

  
  


With shaking hands Erwin grabbed his phone, before immediately putting it back, repeating the action a few times, desperately wanting to call Mike, but afraid of what he might hear. He texted the other alpha a few times, first neutrally inquiring, if everything was alright, until giving up his composure and cutting to the chase of asking, if Levi was okay, if anyone had been at his home to harm them, even asking him for a brief response just to know that the other was still alive. But Mike didn’t even read the messages and when Erwin finally gathered the guts to call him, he didn’t pick up. 

Erwin was feeling sick with worry, all sorts of pictures going through his head, gruesome distorted versions of his friends' slaughtered bodies, by whatever horror haunted Levi. Not able to take it anymore, Erwin grabbed his keys and ran to his car, intending to drive to Mike’s place, when suddenly his phone beeped, while he was on the road. Checking his phone at the next red light, he saw that Mike texted back a simple ‘False alarm. Everything is fine, no need to worry’, taking all the wind out of Erwin’s wings. 

Despite feeling relieved, he also felt disappointed, that his excuse to check on his omega was taken away from him. Feeling stupid, Erwin took a not completely legal sharp U-turn, considering driving straight home again, but instead decided to go into the small shady looking store on the corner of the street, not really sure what he wanted to buy there. He was only certain that he didn’t want to go home yet, having no purpose left, aside from waiting for whatever might, or might not happen in seven days.

Stepping inside the store, suppressing a cringe at the dilapidated interior, sparsely brightened by broken flickering lights, Erwin was surprised to see his coworker Nile inside the shady establishment, coming out of a back room with a disgusted look on his face, spewing angry swears, apparently agitated and annoyed. 

He halted in his movements, completely startled, as he saw Erwin, obviously not expecting to ever see him at such a place - and the feeling was mutual- , before greeting Erwin with a crooked smile. 

“If that isn’t a surprise. Excuse my swearing, but the customer service is shit and don’t get me started on the toilets. Better go, before you catch whatever pest you get in this shithole.” Nile commented, scrunching up his face in disapproval, referring to where he probably just came from, his hand gesturing wildly to invite the other alpha to step outside with him. 

Erwin sensed that Nile wasn’t that comfortable with meeting him at this place, but he did pay it no mind, because truth be told, they weren’t comfortable with meeting each other at any place, barely having one on one conversations anymore at all. 

“Thanks for the warning.” Erwin smiled back politely, receiving a snorted "You’re welcome." as Nile fumbled to lighten a cigarette, he pulled from his pocket, offering one to Erwin, who declined. Shrugging his shoulders, Nile wasn’t bothered, blowing the heated smoke into the cold November air, not showing any signs of leaving or being in a hurry to get away, unfortunately for Erwin, who frantically thought of a way to get away from his colleague, without being a complete jerk. It seemed like Nile wanted to talk to him, maybe smoothen out their relationship for old times sake and Erwin somehow appreciated the effort. At least until Nile opened his mouth.

“Already tired from the wifey?” he inquired with a dirty wink.

“Excuse me?!” 

Nile just chuckled at what he read, as Erwin’s prude sense of pride.

“Why else would you be at a place like this, at this time of day, when you wouldn’t want to get away from your mate? You are mated now, right? The boss told us you would do home office the next few weeks and this is usually only permitted for freshly bonded couples. So congrats, welcome to the shithole of married life. Although I must admit that I am surprised. Never took you for a family man. I can see that you are already unhappy.” While Nile was slurring those words, speaking unusually true and honestly, Erwin noticed that the other alpha must be shit faced and probably only wounded up in the store on his way home. 

“I appreciate your concern, Nile, thank you. But I think I am fine.” Erwin responded, suppressing a cringe, at Nile’s hand playfully punching his shoulder. 

“Suit yourself.”

Then they stood in uncomfortable silence for a while, Nile puffing the smoke into the air, thankfully not directly into his face.

“Do you still need anything from here?” Nile inquired, gesturing to the store with a shake of his head. “’Well, then let’s go home.” he added, as Erwin shook his head no, throwing his finished cigarette on the ground and stepping it out, as he marched forwards to lead the way. 

This is how Erwin ended up, wondering how fucked up a day could be, sitting in his car with a blabbering Nile next to him. 

“I thought you stopped smoking.” The blond remarked, glad for the little things in life, like Nile refraining from stinking up his beloved car with cigarettes.

“Dude, me too, but you know how it is.” Erwin didn’t, but he chuckled politely, in what he hoped sounded like an affirming manner, praying that Nile would get the hint and shut the fuck up. 

He didn’t. It was Nile being Nile, bragging about his successes, that Erwin had missed at work, since he was missing now, which was expected from a vain person like Nile. But also leaving an occasional rude slur about omegas, a thing that Erwin wouldn’t have expected. In his books, Nile was a normal family man, who was happy with his wife and children, but apparently this wasn’t quite the case and he wondered, what shady business the man was up to, behind his wife’s back, probably cheating on her. 

Erwin felt bad for his sweet omega wife, thinking she would be better off without a guy like him. After a while he stopped listening to Nile’s bragging, giving an occasional affirming grunt or mumbles of "Yes, you’re right.” as a response, to keep the other happy. Instead he couldn’t stop asking himself, if he was the same as Nile, since Levi was better off without him, too. Having seen the disgust in Mike’s and Nana’s eyes, he wondered if he was just another Nile in their eyes. 

Finally the two alpha's were in the elevator, softly gliding upwards, stopping at the second floor, where Nile’s apartment was situated. 

“Good night, Nile. Best wishes to your wife and children.” Erwin saw Nile off politely and the other turned to leave, also saying his goodbyes, before reconsidering and leaning in close.

“Sure will. Let me give you a piece of advice from one mated alpha to another. You need to put her in her place, before it is too late.” And before Erwin could fully process what Nile just implied, he was gone and the elevator doors closed again, leaving Erwin with a bad feeling about this, but too exhausted due to the events of the day and the straining absence of his mate, to put the pieces together.

  
  


Levi enjoyed his tea, it helped relax his tense muscles, but even when Nana and Mike bid him goodnight, he couldn't fall asleep. The bed was soft, there was a shitload of blankets and pillows, but it didn't help him get comfortable, no matter in which position he pretzeled himself into. He dozed off for not more than 10 minutes at a time. Something was clearly missing, but he couldn't fathom what. As the night went on, he got more and more restless and by 3 a.m. he was pacing the small room restlessly. He checked his phone, finding it charged, full of missed calls, one who had been answered, but wasn't connected for longer than a minute. He hoped the caller hadn't realized and hung up. It had most likely happened on accident. But he knew exactly, who called, because the viscous voicemail left at midnight, was enough to make his skin crawl. 

Nile the fucking shitback was tightening the ropes. Levi couldn't agree to the horrendous deal, the piece of scum had come up with. 

He didn't have an ensuite bathroom, so he couldn't take a shower, without waking either of his hosts, which left him creeping up and down his room. He occasionally turned on the lights, then after a while, plunged the room into darkness again, because it became too bright to bear. At 5 a.m. in the morning he was knackered as all hell, sitting in the corner of the room, tearing at the roots of his hair, because nothing made sense anymore. 

He didn't see the way out. 

He wanted to fucking kill Nile with his disgusting preposition. He was sure it was a buff, after all the effort the drunkyard had gone to, to keep his money away from him. By now he was sure, it might not even exist anymore. Nile was just making empty promises.

His omega was yearning to be with his mate and Levi despised every second of it, his neck a cacophony of agonizing pain. Would it always be like this?

He felt trapped and that scared him. He wasn't ready to settle down yet. He couldn't provide for himself, left alone a litter and the stress was wearing on him. His skin hyper aware of every guest of air that grazed his skin.

After another agonizing hour, worrying the skin on his lips into bloody submission, the well known nausea made a reappearance and despite his best efforts to hold it back, he was puking up his guts in a matter of minutes. The hacking woke Nana, who came to check on him, mumbling sleepy reassurances.

He felt bad for waking her at this ungodly hour, even though she kept repeating, that she didn't mind.

He would need to do something about it, a whole flipchart of outdated practices coming to mind - throwing himself down the stairs, or out of a window, jump from a wardrobe, use a cloth hanger, among other things. Which in turn just made him realize that he didn't know what to do. 

They had doctors at the omega home, Nana told him as much, but he couldn't go there. Couldn't go to a hospital either. He didn't even have an address at the moment.

Nana helped him back up, leaving Levi to shower, while she made some ginger tea. An hour later Levi still hadn't left and she got worried. Knocking softly, before entering the room, filled with the scent of despair, she found Levi, sitting in the shower tub, with tears streaming down his face.

He was a mess and it broke her heart to see him like this. She knew it would take time for him to make a decision, but she also knew he didn't' have forever to do so.

  
  


Erwin stumbled into his living room, shoes and coat discarded carelessly, as he slumped down on his couch, mindlessly scrolling down his phone, hoping for another message from Mike. At least he got a brief confirmation, that everything was well, but after storming out like that, Erwin had hoped the other alpha would feel inclined to give up a little more information. Didn’t Mike know that he was worried sick about Levi, too? Or did he sink so low in his graces, that he thought, that Erwin didn’t truly care? Erwin knew he should go to sleep, even thought about going to work, but it would be humiliating to first ask for a leave, due to bonding and then come to work the day afterwards, like he had never asked for a leave to begin with. 

Office talk was as bad as it got on a normal day, even must have taken a turn for the worse, he figured after meeting Nile, if his ‘happy news' already made it to the not very popular sale’s director. He was usually the last one to know, so that meant that everyone else knew, probably Pixis told Hanji and that is, when it all went downhill, because they were screeching around the office in excitement, probably already planning a big ceremony or something over the top like that. Who would believe that the workaholic Smith found himself a little mate and told no one else about it. Imagine the scandal? So going to work would be a bad idea, but staying home the whole day, with nothing else to do than working on statistics for hours, which he could do almost on auto-pilot, Erwin would be left with nothing to distract him from the aching in his neck, that got worse with every passing moment, he was separated from his mate. And as if the day couldn’t get any better, he had to run into Nile. Why couldn’t he have run into Mike instead? Or Nana? Or no one at all, buying snacks to binge on, to distract himself from his impending loneliness.

He should have ran into Levi, he thought wishfully, and they should have gone home together to snuggle up into their comfortable bed, after being out in the cold a little too long. Instead Erwin dragged himself into his bed, not truly wanting to sleep in it, after what had happened in there, but according to that philosophy, he also couldn’t sleep on the couch either, so bed it was, including feeling cold and lonely without his omega. 

Determined Erwin closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe steadily. This technique usually put him to sleep rather fast, but tonight it didn’t work, his head counting his breaths and his own heart beat racing in his ear. The painful itching in his neck was prominent, occupying his senses, making it hard to find some peace. His arms and legs felt weird, as if they didn’t truly belong to his body, and he could toss and turn however he wanted, his arms felt empty and the only thing that could calm him down was Levi, who was probably suffering as well. 

The alpha remembered Levi vividly, how pitiful he had looked, as he was left alone for a few hours and now he was basically on his own, since good friends couldn’t replace a mate. Hot and cold shivers rummaged through Erwin’s body, as the itching turned into pulsing pain emanating from his bonding mark, almost like a migraine spreading through his body, waking him up again, and again, every few minutes, after he fell barely asleep. In those brief moments he managed to sleep, he dreamt about Levi, almost feeling him next to him, pulling him closer and pressing the length of his body against him. His arms would envelope his mate and big hands would wander over the lithe body, fingers gently caressing the naked skin, hidden beneath the too big shirt - his alpha’s shirt - until his flat palm would come to rest on Levi’s slightly swollen belly, as he waited in anticipation for little kicks, from the litter he put inside there.

When Erwin woke up again, his lips were stretched into a smile that quickly faded, when he noticed that he was rubbing himself against the pillow bunched up in his arms, fondling the soft material with his hands. Letting go of the pillow and turning to lie on his back, Erwin stared up to the ceiling, wondering if this was just wishful thinking again, or if he actually managed to impregnate Levi. They haven’t used any protection and he remembered Levi’s screeching, that he wasn’t on the pill, so afraid that he might have gotten knocked up. 

His mind filled itself with questions over questions, Erwin found no further sleep that night, as his thoughts ran in circles, asking himself, if Levi would even want the child, if he would keep it, how he felt about it and what he planned to do in that case? Would he consider returning to him? Not even wanting to think of the alternative, Erwin decided that he might as well get up and start the day early, powering on his laptop and pouring himself the first of many cups of coffee to follow, trying to chase away the fear of never even seeing his pups.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to 2020 everyone. First of all, thanks to all of you, who left me such heartwarming messages upon posting the notice. (I would have never expected that)  
I've only been back home for a couple of days and it's not permanent yet, because I will have to leave for another hospital stint of possibly 6 weeks in february. But I thought I might try and get a little move on. Therefore enjoy the new chapter. I apologize in advance, if there are any mistakes still present, after editing. (feel free to point them out, so I can correct them later)  
Due to all those unexpected turn of events I had to take a bigger break from writing, but I can tell I miss writing. So I will defenetely get back to it, if the time is right and my head clears up. So far I'm still a bit troubled and have to take care of stuff, but I hope to not leave you waiting all too long yet again. My sincere apologies!

Levi found himself yet again bundled up into piles of towels, as Nanaba tried her best to soothe him. She didn't say a word about the scorching hot shower, but wanted to pass it onto Mike regardless. Levi had barely known them for more than 24 hours and yet Nana felt the urge to protect him, like she would protect her own pup. 

She couldn't imagine what kind of terrors, those eyes must have seen and the bony body in her embrace must have endured.

"It's okay, Levi. It will all be okay, I promise." She murmured gently, before getting him up on his shaky legs, back into his room, to dress, before juggling him out into the kitchen. She didn't dare to leave him to himself again, afraid something bad might happen. 

Levi obediently sipped at his ginger tea, but couldn't bring himself to eat anything at all. His throat felt like ass, he was still shaking, despite Nana wrapping him in a fluffy blanket and for the first time, he felt even more like a charity case, even more so than Erwin had made him feel. 

It was obvious Nana and Mike weren't as financially gifted as their friend, which made him feel even worse for imposing on them. They probably had bills to pay and ends to meet as well. Levi was huddled up at the kitchen counter, head resting on his arm, one hand fiddling with the rim of his tea cup, staring at the granite countertop. 

What if he went back to Erwin?

Did he really wanted to live like a fucking leech for the rest of his life? 

Just cleaning the apartment, running after litters of pups and waiting for Erwin to come home? It almost made him retch again. He had fought so hard for his independence and Erwin's overbearing ass wouldn't allow him freedom, for even a single second of the day. He would most likely spend it naked in bed, if he wasn't cleaning.

Yet, his body was yearning for the alpha's touch, firing up the whirlwind of emotions inside of him, until he wanted to start bawling his eyes out again. 

Those better not be pregnancy hormones. He pressed his eyes shut tight in fear of actually crying right then and there. He had been reduced to a pathetic, crying little bitch within a few days of heat. He literally failed at everything he had thrived for all those years.

Nana was cluttering around the kitchen, as Mike joined them and he listened to them chatting softly, with his heart heavy.

He was a fucking train wreck waiting to happen, just waiting for impact. When Nana made coffee for Mike's grunting morning ass, Levi had to rush back to the bathroom to throw up again, the smell making him gag so hard, he thought his eyeballs might pop out.

His scent must be disturbing to Mike, imposing on his mate, stinking up his home. While Levi kept throwing up and Nana apologized reverently for setting him off, Levi begged for forgiveness in between his retching.

He wanted Erwin and he also didn't want Erwin.

He should have never entrusted his money to Nile and his loan sharks, so he would have been living happily ever after somewhere in Hawaii by now.

"Erwin!" Levi wailed helplessly, with his head resting on the cold porcelain of the toilet bowl, body crying out for his alpha to soothe his pain.

Nana had tears in her eyes at the pitiful sight, while Mike watched on, leaning against the doorframe with gritted teeth, while his omega petted Levi's back and hair, waiting for him to stop throwing up so violently. She wondered if they could call one of the doctors of the omega house for a house call, thinking there must be something to help Levi, anything.

His scent gland was still sore and raised, hot to the touch as well, it must be excruciating pain to endure, on top of everything else.

Erwin forced himself to work steadily, to distract himself from the pain down his neck and after what felt forever, he was done with his work. You could only do so much for a project, if no one replied to your mails. He looked at the clock, seeing that forever had not passed, but only about six hours, since it was only 10 a.m. in the morning, Erwin refreshed his mail again. No mails and neither any much needed documents left to continue working on. If he would have been at the office, he wouldn’t bother with the mails and simply go over to ask instead, it made for a quicker response, since he knew from experience that some people had a tendency to never look into their mails - that generally included himself after all. 

He wondered briefly how Mike could get any work done at all, working from home a lot, but he probably didn’t care much about it, having other priorities in life. Thinking about Mike, his thoughts lead him back to Levi promptly. With no more work to do, the pain intensified again, accompanied by a yearning to feel the omega close again, not even in a sexual way, although he would be a fool to refuse. 

His mind kept coming back to Levi over and over again, he considered to call, but didn’t want to come across as overwhelming, that’s why in the end he settled on sending a brief text, that read ‘How is Levi doing?’. He had a feeling that Levi was also suffering, but maybe it was just his alpha nature telling him that and Levi was enjoying the best time of his life, now that he was without him. ‘Not possible’ an especially sharp bolt of pain shooting down his spine reminded him. 

Levi was probably feeling worse than him and burdened with worries, with only one of them having no permanent place to stay, aside from going back where he came from (which didn’t seem like much of an option, since he voluntarily stayed with strangers. No matter how nice the strangers omega behaved towards him, one of them was still a potentially dangerous alpha) the only other option would have been to stay with his despised mate.

Erwin got up from his sitting position, cursing his cracking joints, making him feel older than he was. Having nothing else to do, he thought he might rearrange his apartment to create a private space for Levi, that would be more fitting than ‘Levi’s room’, thinking of something like a bedroom with an enclosed bath, so he wouldn’t have to come out and see Erwin, if he didn’t wish, too. This might make returning to him a more appealing option to the omega, at least taking one of his worries and the pain of separation away from both of them. 

While contemplating how he would put his plan into action, Erwin still noticed that Mike took his sweet time, not gracing the other alpha with an answer. 

So he decided that he would drive to the closest home depot to look for a few things, to get started on ‘Levi’s space’ , even if it might be for naught, it felt good to do something that might benefit his omega and their impending relationship. Upon arrival he spent some time idly walking through the enormous hall, looking for curtains and other knick knacks, that Levi might deem useful, focusing on anything fluffy and easy to clean.

“Aaaaaw, you are in a nesting mood!” a familiar voice squealed out of nowhere and Erwin found himself embraced in a tight heartfelt hug, that only Hanji could manage. “I heard you mated, it has lit like wildfire through the office. Pixis asked me about the lucky omega, when I brought him the lab reports. Can you imagine how humiliating it is, that I didn’t know? Even Nile knew before me! I am hurt, but don’t worry, big guy, I will give you the opportunity to make it up to me.”

Their stream of words was only interrupted by the buzzing of their phone, Erwin couldn’t even reply to it, just smiling politely, praying that whatever it was, it would be important enough, that they would forget any intruding question, that the alpha might not want to answer. He couldn’t afford losing another dear friend.

“Sorry, sorry, I have to take it.” Hanji mumbled, accepting the incoming call. “Heeeeeey Hoooo Mike, what’s up? What can I-“ 

Erwin felt his blood run cold, freezing in his veins, as Hanji’s cheery expression turned more and more serious with every deep rumble coming from the phone. 

“Yes, I will be there in a minute.” they finished, in a surprisingly grave tone, revealing that there was more to them, than just being the funny crazy maniac of the company living in the laboratory. After all, Hanji was a doctor and didn’t win their PhD in the lottery. 

“We will catch up later, Erwin, there is an omega at Mike’s house and he isn’t in a good state, so I will go check up on him. I really don’t know where he always finds those poor broken souls.” Hanji was already a few steps ahead, Erwin still frozen to his spot, staring after them with wide blue eyes. 

“Wait, let me tag along!” he called, sprinting after them. “I’ll drive you. It is faster than your bike. It is the least I could do.” Erwin offered and led the way, hurrying out of the store with Hanji hot on his heels. 

He didn’t care that he would probably lose his only true friend, the moment they stepped inside. Levi’s health was more important than his foolish pride and Mike would tell Hanji all about it anyway, so the sooner they got this over with the better. 

The alpha had just started the car, when he already felt the other looking at him, noticing Erwin’s obvious distress.

“You seem concerned. It sure is terrible, what some alphas do to their mates. Poor guy. I wonder where Mike always finds those lost souls?” they started tentatively, not disrupting their stare. Erwin didn’t answer, gripping the wheel tighter, concentrating on the street ahead. Thankfully the way wasn’t too long, barely 10 minutes by car and the alpha still hadn’t made up his mind, if he should show himself to Mike, or if he should just stay back in the car, dutifully waiting for Hanji to come back, or if he should leave immediately after dropping them off. The first option was rude, the second one would sure end in an interrogation and the third one could be seen as uncaring towards his mate and result in plain torture for himself. 

Still he couldn’t find it in him to unbuckle and leave the car, as Hanji had already shut the door behind them. They looked at him, apparently waiting, before opening the door again with a mocking frown.

”Come on, don’t you want to help? Whatever the little omega lived through, you are not like the scum bag he possibly came from.” so it happened, that Erwin stood awkwardly in front of the door, that was opened quickly by Mike, whose usually calm face turned into an angry snarl upon seeing the other alpha. Hanji, obviously not able to process the situation, looked confused, gaze drifting between the two alpha’s.

"What the fucking shit, don't you have any self control, Erwin?" Mike hissed angrily.

"I… I just gave Hanji a ride." Erwin stumbled over his own words, getting uncomfortable, as a loud wail of agony, disrupted the awkward standoff, alerting him with a pang in his chest to his mate's pain. It felt almost like a heart attack.

Hanji thankfully didn't ask the 5 billion burning questions, but gave both of them the weird eye, as they pushed past Mike, to get to the omega in need. Mike blocked off the doorway again, shoulders squared and anger seething.

"I’ll ask you nicely to go back to wherever the fuck you came from. You are not helping right now." He snarled, keeping his arms crossed.

Levi could smell Erwin's faint scent, as the shitty four eyed doctor entered and renewed his struggles to push away from Nana's hold, who had tried to soothe him. She let go hesitantly, having picked up on Mike's anger and Erwin's faint voice. She expected Levi to rush towards Hanji, but he surprised them both, as he took a wild dash out of the guestroom, stumbling into the hallway, eyes searching frantically, before settling on Mike's wide back, and the pair of black oxfords, peeking out between the alpha's spread legs.

"ERWIN!" Levi was beyond himself, as he stumbled forwards, body already drained of all energy, knees knocking together and meeting the hardwood floor face first. "ERWIN! ERWIN! ERWIN!" He cried, throat raw from screaming on top of his lungs, hand reaching out desperately for the alpha in the doorway, hidden by Mike's bulk.

"Erwin please, please, please." Levi begged, crawling forward on shaky arms. He didn't know what else stumbled out of his mouth, the desperation swallowing him up whole, as he was once again reduced to his omegan instincts. 

He wanted Erwin to take away the pain, he wanted to feel needed, he wanted to feel loved. He wanted to be a good omega. The strain of their injured bond made him unreasonable, as he strained to get to his alpha, one hand latching onto the hem of Mike's jeans, as he tried to reach out.

Erwin's resolve was crumbling into dust at the display of raw desperation and hurt.

He crouched down, ignoring Mike's snarl, as he offered his hand to the tear streaked face of his mate, blinking up at him from inbetween Mike's legs, their fingertips touching briefly, while Nana and Hanji watched on from afar.

"DON'T YOU DARE, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Mike yelled at him, losing composure, as he shifted his stance, to break of their contact, making Levi hitch in sobs, as he he kept almost seizing on the floor, which in turn made Hanji scramble for the meds in their small ER-equipped backpack, in order to relief some of Levi's distress.

"I already told you, that I only drove Hanji over and now it is even deemed wrong, that I am worried about my mate?” Erwin shout whispered back. “And I am sick of your lectures, Mike. I know you mean well and I appreciate your concern, I fucked up big time, but you are yelling and scaring him, too! Having the nerve to accuse me of having no self-control, while shouting and cursing. This is not like you.” And it was true, Erwin had started to get sick of being accused over and over again, when Levi was laying on the ground, crying on, sobbing for his mate and being forced back by this bulk of a man. “My mark was and still is burning the whole day due to being apart from him. Every muscle of my body aches, because of it and I can barely think straight. My mate is suffering. I just want to hold him and ease his 

pain. Imagine how you would feel, if Nana was brought down by pain and cried out for you and there was no way you could be there to comfort her? What would you do Mike, if I would stand between you and your mate, telling you that you should leave because you are not good enough?”

“That is something completely different!” Mike snarled back, towering over the other alpha, ignoring the clawing little fingers at his legs, that tried to make space, to fit between them, to escape to his mate. Erwin forced himself to keep calm instead of proving Mike’s point by starting a fist fight. He felt the increasing distress of his omega due to the impending brawl between the two alpha’s.

“Please Mike, I just want to hold him!” Erwin pleaded with intent in his voice, he refused to leave, as long as his mate was suffering. 

Reluctantly Mike stepped aside, revealing Levi’s shivering form laying on the ground, crying in panic, at seeing Hanji looming over him with an injection needle in their hands, trying to keep the struggling omega still, to hit the vein correctly. Before they could set the injection however, Levi suddenly shot forwards, arms reaching around Erwin, who had knelt down next to him, embracing him back while crooning softly. 

The moment he touched his mate, it was like the pain flew away from his body, as he snuggled the small body against his own. 

“Perfect.” Hanji mumbled and before Erwin could comprehend what had just happened, he felt Levi’s body going slack against him, like a bag of flour or rather feathers, blue eyes fixating on the needle sticking out of the boney arm.

"What did you do?!" Erwin exclaimed bewildered, looking from Hanji to Levi's dropping eyes, before his omega shut them entirely.

"I sedated him." They replied matter of factly, moving aside, wagging the syringe in their hand suggestively to motion Mike to step aside.

"Alright you big stuff go sit in the living room, take care of Nana. Make tea, I don't care. You blondie…" they pointed their syringe at Erwin. "Will carry our deadweight towards the bed, while I examine him. And after that, you will follow me to the living room and I want the full story, before I decide who's ass to kick first." the beta said earnestly.

"Is he out cold?" Erwin dared to ask, as he put down Levi on the bed in the guestroom, as gently as he could.

"He should be. However he won't protest." Hanji shrugged, before checking the omega over carefully.

Levi wasn't out cold however, he was fucking terrified. 

He could hear them talking, but couldn't open his eyes, or even move a single finger. He couldn't even so much as twitch, as hands roamed over his body, turning his limbs this way and that. Fingers prodding some of the more intense bruises, ghosting over his scratched up knees, before returning to poke relentlessly at his scent glands. 

He thought there was a sliver of a light over his closed eyes, but wasn't all too sure about it. He wanted to scream and kick out, to move away. 

The big hand in his hair, properly meant to offer reassurances, but despite knowing there was a hand in his hair, he felt kind of empty otherwise. His omega dynamic was having the fit of his life, exposed like this, deprived of his alpha's touch, he had fought so hard for to obtain. 

Hanji was relentless with him, but Erwin didn't dare to spite them. His bond felt muted, even when reaching out he wasn't sure what exactly Levi was feeling. Hanji's medical jargon flew right over his head and wasn’t helping much either to help make sense of the situation.

"Will he wake up again?" He dared to ask.

"Of course he will, silly. Might sleep for a few hours now though." They replied dryly, packing up their stuff and writing up a prescription in the name of the omega house, signing it with a flourish. 

As a beta their scent was non existent, but they were gifted enough to pick up on alpha and omega scents still, which most beta's probably wouldn't notice. Even without proper equipment, they knew that the omega was already carrying.

"When was his last heat and how long did it last?" Hanji gave him a stern look from across their goggles, asking the general questions anyway. 

"Couple of days ago, maybe a week. Lasted for maybe 3 days." Erwin murmured unsure. Has it already been this long?

"Alright, now let's go!" They ordered, leaving the room, waiting for Erwin to follow them out.

Mike was still pissed as fuck and grouchy, waiting for them, as they both took a seat across from him and Nana.

"Now give me the full edition juice." Hanji ordered, letting Erwin go first. They filled them in on the events, with Mike making snarky comments in between, before recounting his own side of things.

"Here is what you are going to do." Hanji advised, always the crazy voice of reason in moments like these. "First go fill this fucking prescription asap. Then, bring it over and drive me back. You Mike, will stay here, you will be on your best behaviour and fucking friendly. Don't you two start yelling again, or I swear to god! Levi will stay here for at least 2 more days. Erwin you are allowed to visit him, but not for longer than 3 hours per day, while you sort your shithole out. Then we can re discuss the plan." Hanji clapped their hands in a gesture of finality.

3 hours per day, he could live with that. While telling Hanji the whole story, Erwin had accepted that Hanji would shun him, too, for what he had done, but instead they remained professional and neutral. 

Levi was the priority and that’s why he was in the car right now, driving to the pharmacy to pick up the medication for his omega, something to reduce his anxiety, thankfully nothing to suppress his natural hormones, as it could be dangerous so close after a heat. Erwin wasn’t stupid, he knew what a heat that only lasted this short meant. 

After half an hour, he returned not only with the medication, but also some ointment for his wounds, vitamins and even more tea, especially lots and lots of ginger tea against morning sickness. Levi still hadn’t woken up yet, hopefully sleeping peacefully and Erwin moved to sit beside him, like he already used to do, thinking remorsefully that the longest time he spent with Levi was like this, sitting next to him, while the omega was out cold, dead to the world.

Mike shot him a watchful look, but remained silent, he rather chose to stay close to Nanaba, who was cluttering around in the kitchen again, cooking something that smelled like a delicious lunch. One hour passed like that, neither of them barely speaking a word, Hanji filing information about Levi in their notebook and Mike and Nana speaking quietly among themselves, if anything. 

Erwin just sat there, his hand reached out for his mate, softly stroking his hair or touching his cheeks, never wandering around too much. He had lost any sense of time, wanted to stay next to him forever, but soon felt Hanji approach him, who didn’t need to say a word, the alpha knew that the three hours for today must have been up by now. 

“Can I stay until he wakes up? I don’t want him to think that I have left, because I don’t care.”

To Erwin’s relief, Hanji agreed and moved over to the kitchen, Mike’s growling could be heard from afar and Nana scolding him in return, although it was obvious in her tone, that she still mistrusted Erwin, still not really wanted him around, but recognized that he at least tried. 

It took another hour, until Levi’s eyelids fluttered, before his eyes widened and he shot up like awaking out of a nightmare. His body was shivering slightly, but he calmed down, feeling the presence of his mate next to him, leaning his head into the palm, that stroked his hair, before lying down again, snuggling his body closer to Erwins, searching for his warmth. 

Erwin could feel little fingers clawing into his thigh, as a small voice mumbled: “Don’t leave.”

Erwin was here. 

Erwin was with him. 

Erwin hadn't left. 

The relief made Levi claw at whatever part of the alpha's body he could get to. If he could, he would have even climbed inside of him, to hide away from the world.

His muscles stopped cramping up, his headache, while still noticeable, stopped roaring like an ugly beast straight from hell and the warmth kept him relaxed. He snuggled up as close as he could, climbing into Erwin's lap, still rolled up like a burrito and smashing his nose in the strong pecs, still feeling too tired to make the track up to the alpha's neck. 

"Erwin. Erwin. Erwin." He kept repeating it like a mantra. His fingers were curled up tightly around the soft fabric of the Henley the alpha was wearing, afraid this would be a dream, if he let go for even a second. That he would wake to still being trapped inside of his body, thanks to whatever drug the crazy shit for glasses gave him.

"I'm here." Erwin crooned softly, hands encircling his frail mate. 

"No leaving, please." Levi found himself begging. Erwin sighed, Hanji had entered upon hearing them, giving him a pointed look, before they beat him to it.

"Erwin will have to leave. But he will come back tomorrow. You, however, need rest. A lot of rest." They said sternly. Levi already hated them. Whimpering and snarling at them, as he pressed even closer to Erwin's warmth. The rollercoaster of wanting and needing Erwin, as well as wanting to be as far away from him, as possible was driving him up the walls. He wasn't so sure what he wanted at all. Would it ever stop being like this?

"Please. 5 more minutes." Levi grabbed at Erwin's torso so fierce, given he was most likely drained to the bone. Hange rolled their eyes at them.

"No. This is final. Time is up." They said, not budging.

"Levi. I promise I will come back tomorrow." Erwin murmured, feeling equally put off, as he tried to unclasp Levi's fingers.

"No!" The omega whined loudly, clinging to him like a lifeline, he could already smell Mike's anger from the kitchen.

"He doesn't know, what the fuck he wants." Mike was huffing at Nana.

"I brought you tea, and I will bring you more stuff tomorrow if you want me to, but therefore you have to let go." Erwin tried to reason with his mate, but he knew it would be fruitless. If he learned one thing so far, Levi was a stubborn little shit. He started crying at the simple preposition right away, ugly loud sobs echoing through the room.

"Erwin please get a move on." Hanji said, rubbing the top of their nose, looking pointily at their wrist watch.

Erwin pulled off his Henley, leaving himself in nothing but a dark wife beater, leaving his shirt in Levi's clutching hands. "Keep this for now. I pinky promise that I will come back tomorrow." 

Levi felt Erwin's much bigger pinky wrap around his own softly, as the alpha left a soothing kiss on the crown of his head, maneuvering Levi gently back onto the bed, before standing up and leaving.

Levi mourned the loss of his mate.

"I fucking hate you!" He snarled at Hanji's retreating back, hugging the pillow Erwin had been leaning up against fiercely.

  
  


Having to let go of Levi was an incredible hard thing to do for Erwin, hearing his mate whining loudly for him to stay, but he understood the necessity of this measure. So he kept control over himself and therefore the situation, not wanting to unsteady Levi further, by putting up a hissy fit. 

"Thank you for letting me stay, until he woke up." Erwin added, after bidding his goodbyes to Hanji. 

He didn't know what he should say to Mike. On one hand he was grateful to have an honest compassionate human in his life, on the other side, he never wanted to be on the receiving end, when he put his strong moral standing into action. Not wanting to put that into words, he gave Mike a curt nod, before leaving the house and seizing the opportunity to drive back to the furniture store and go back to his original plan. 

He had seen a few curtains and pillows before, that would fit perfectly into the space he had planned out for Levi. Although he had to stop himself from buying too much, thinking of maybe going to the store together with Levi sometime, so the omega could design the majority of his space to his own liking.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Satu here, my time is up folks. I'm being admitted back to hospital for 6 weeks, this upcoming monday and I have surgery sheduled right after that, but I did my best so you could read this update. I got another one on the stove cooking, that I will eventually release during my hospital time, if things work out. I hope you like it. Thank you for all your patience. Love you guys. I will re-read all the comments to feel better in the meantime, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me.

The evening was bearable, Erwin was able to distract himself and put his mind back to work, since a few mail responses from the office arrived. The separation pain hit him before his bedtime, when he stepped out of the shower and headed straight to his bedroom, with only a towel swung around his hips. Wet drops still caught in the blond strands, he didn't even bother to dry himself off completely, before flaunting himself on the king size bed, that seemed far too big now, for one person alone. 

Erwin had always slept in a bed this big by himself - when he didn't just crash carelessly on the couch - but for the first time, it felt lonely and the empty space around him, only reminded him of Levi's absence. He could still hear the high pitched cries for him, feel the small body cuddled against him and smell the sweet scent tingling in his nose. How his inner alpha longed for it again, after all, it was what enticed him from the beginning, up to triggering his rut, with just smelling so right, like they belonged together forever, despite all the circumstances, descending out of completely different worlds. 

Although there wasn't even the slightest hint of his mate's sweet scent on his freshly washed bed sheets, the clean smell and the indescribable feeling of laying down in a freshly made bed after a shower, still reminded him of Levi, thinking that his little omega would like that feeling, too. Inhaling the aroma soothed his mind for a bit, before he finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

Levi couldn't help but cry a little into the pillow, after Erwin had left. Mike was giving him a bit of a stinky eye, when he toddled into the kitchen for another cup of tea. Nana still smiled at him though and that was good enough for now.

"I'm sorry." Levi mumbled to the other omega, hands clutching the china in his hand and lips resting against the rim of the cup.

"It must be a confusing time." Nanaba amended, but it didn't really lift the feeling of guilt in his stomach.

He was a mess ever since Erwin came into his life and today had just proven how much of a tool the change was putting on his body. He hadn't had an attack this severe for a very long time. It scared him, since he thought, he had already beaten that old demon of himself. 

It must have been crazy enough for the doctor to drug the fuck out of him, even though he was pretty sure, he hadn't tried to go after anyone in his delirious state, or the worst case scenario attempted to kill himself. His limbs still felt like jello and his body unnaturally heavy, like he needed at least 5 more naps, to become anything close to feeling alive and functioning again.

He politely declined Nana's dinner and went back to curling around the pillow and clutching onto Erwin's shirt. He hated to admit it, but he missed the alpha. He didn't know what he actually wanted from him, but he knew that there was no going back now. They were mated after all. 

This night Levi managed to sleep, despite his dark nightmares. He whimpered, he kicked out and sometimes cried, but didn't wake until the morning sickness kicked in so hard, he stumbled out of bed bleary eyed and scratched his knees open again, while he crashed in front of the toilet.

By the time he had managed to take a shower, only scrubbing really hard, but not drawing blood and without it taking hours, he reemerged, to find Nana boiling the kettle offering him ginger tea. He thanked her, and tried to take up as little space, as he could at the breakfast nook, still not really hungry and Nana eyed him up and down worrily. 

"You've got to eat, Levi." She chastised gently.

"I know. I will, but not right after puking up my guts." He murmured, not wanting to make eye contact with her. After all the fuss, he felt more like an intruder, than a friend, especially since Mike was obviously still mad. The ringing of his phone, broke their silence abruptly and all the color drained from Levi's face. He dreaded to answer the call, but he knew he wouldn't win with another voicemail. 

He went back to his room, hoping Nana wouldn't eavesdrop, before he answered on the last ring. He didn't say anything, just allowed the call to connect.

"I know exactly where you are. 5 days left, time is running out!" Nile's voice threatened, ending in an ugly laugh, before he had hung up on him. 

Levi sighed, terror sizzling in his veins. He couldn't tell if the shitbag was making empty threats, but he had to go back. He couldn't stay here and endanger Mike and Nana.

He could go back to hiding at Erwin's, but living right under Nile's stupid nose didn't seem pretty save. He wanted to crawl into himself.

Erwin chose exactly that moment to ring the doorbell.

His heart racing, but keeping his composure, as he rang the doorbell, Erwin felt like a school boy going on his first date, who was afraid that his crush's father might open the door. He only had to wait a few seconds, before Mike opened the door with a neutral expression. Erwin greeted him briefly, clutching the bag in his arms tighter, as he felt Mike eyeing it suspiciously.

“I brought tea.” Erwin explained, as Mike closed the door behind him wordlessly, before following Erwin, hindering him from going directly into the guestroom, where Levi hopefully rested. 

The room was silent and it was then that he noticed Nanaba standing in the corner, busying herself with doing the dishes with her hands, although they had a dishwasher, apparently to keep her hands busy to avoid falling back into old patterns. 

“There has been another call just a few moments ago. Nana overheard it. Five days it did say, she couldn’t understand more.” Mike explained, his voice heavy with worry. 

“I think whoever this fucker is, he knows where Levi is currently staying.” The other alpha added, but before he could vocalize, what loomed over the room like a suffocating dark cloud – the regret, the fear, the apology to an old friend ‘I am sorry, but I can’t risk my mate.’ – Nana interrupted with steel in her voice, despite whispering, afraid they would be overheard. 

“We already talked about this, Mike! Levi stays as long as he wants to.” With that Nana turned towards her dishes again, scrubbing the plate with apparent calmness and finality, leaving no room for further questions.

“I didn’t want him to know that I was eavesdropping on accident, so I don’t know what state he is in. Please be careful with him, Erwin. You don’t know how much he needs you and how much he struggles with accepting it.” She added after a while without turning around, still not able to really look Erwin in the eye after what happened. 

So Erwin prepared for the worst, as he knocked softly on the door. Receiving no response at all, Erwin slowly opened the door, only peeking his head inside, promptly finding his mate curled up on the bed, still clutching his shirt in his small hands. The alpha immediately noticed that the posture was too cramped for Levi to be sleeping, so he stepped closer a few steps. 

“Hello Levi, I’m back as I promised.” he greeted his mate in a friendly tone, not wanting to weigh the smaller man down further, by the panic and fighting mood, that cursed through his veins at anyone, who dared to threaten his Levi or any of his friends. Levi said nothing and Erwin noticed that his gray eyes were staring blankly off into nothingness, kind of looking in his direction, but not really focusing on him and not following him, when he moved to sit on the bed, next to the fragile curled up frame. Levi just stared ahead with empty eyes. Putting the bag down next to him, Erwin started to pet the crown of his head, fingers wandering through soft black strands of hair. Then he continued talking, hoping that his voice might reassure Levi and make him feel a bit safer, protected by his alpha, and not left alone in this world.

“I brought you tea, like I pinky promised you yesterday, remember?” Erwin smiled down at him, while wiggling his pinky in front of Levi’s face, eyes actually focusing on the digit right in front of him. “It is black tea again, but this time it is Lady Grey. It is supposed to be more lemony, than the usual Earl Grey and I thought you might like that. Maybe we could give it a try sometime, if you like?”

Levi still stayed motionless and Erwin didn’t really know what to say anymore, not sure if it was better to keep talking, or to leave him be, granting him his space, until he felt better. Or was it just him not wanting to leave? Erwin scolded himself internally for being this selfish, hating the thought of leaving early, having only three hours a day to be close to his mate, his inner alpha screaming at the prospect of being separated from him, ever again. He didn’t want to waste a second he could spend with Levi, being close to him, seeing his little chest rise and fall slowly with his breathing. But that desire didn’t matter, if it wasn’t mutual. So Erwin stroked the black hair for one last time, about to rise from the bed, when he heard a faint whisper. 

“Now.” Levi rasped, mouth obviously dry like sandpaper. “I would like to… we could try it now.” the omega rasped.

Leaning down to give Levi a small kiss on the crown of his head, as relief flooded through him, Erwin didn’t leave the house as he had intended, but made his way into the kitchen instead, putting the water to boil and fixing up two cups of delicious smelling tea, under the watchful frown of Mike, leaning against the kitchen counter. 

He was surprised that he apparently didn’t interrupt a whisper battle between the two, this one seemingly had been settled a while ago, according to Mike’s resigned expression. 

The big alpha leaning against the kitchen counter with crossed arms and Nana still scrubbing plates, but this time with the smug expression of a winner.

When Erwin returned to Levi, the omega slowly uncurled himself, as the smell of tea reached his nose, like he was a hedgehog, who was offered food. The way he held the cup was weird, but adorable in Erwin’s eyes, and he almost forgot his own tea, as he watched Levi move around mesmerized, as the omega blew air over the hot liquid to cool it down a bit, before taking a small sip, eyes closing in delight, obviously enjoying the chosen brand. 

“You try it too, old creep.” Levi mumbled without any menace in his voice, as if he was instead flustered by Erwin’s interest in his behavior. 

Taking a sip on his own, Erwin had to admit that he indeed had chosen well, although he would always prefer a nice hot cup of coffee over this, but sharing this little moment of joy with Levi, was worth denying every cup of coffee in the world for him.

“It’s good.” Erwin stated after a while, Levi only replying with a small “Yeah.” before they were embraced by comfortable silence.

After a while, he could feel Levi start to shift around in discomfort next to him, obviously struggling to find the right words to voice something that seemed important to him.

"Uhm, Erwin would you… no, how much… ahh fuck it." Levi fell silent again, not knowing how to ask the alpha. Erwin watched him, waiting for the omega to get his bearings. He wasn't sure what Levi wanted to ask for. The omega glanced at him briefly, uncertainty reflecting in those gray eyes, clouded by doubt and helplessness.

"If I would ask you for something, would you do it without asking many questions?" Levi tried, looking at the alpha from under dark lashes, searching for reassurance obviously.

"Of course I would do anything for you." Erwin was quick to concede. At this point he would kill for Levi, if it came down to this.

"Ok,... listen there is something I need to take care of and it's a bit of a problem." The omega sighed, taking another sip of the tea in his hands. It took him a lot of effort, for his hands not to shake at the request, which would uncover the nervousness and anxiety cursing through him. He was thankful for the tea provided by his alpha, since it offered him something to keep his hands busy with. 

Erwin had picked up on something so tiny about his quirks, and had chosen to give it to him. It was a small gesture of big volume. 

"You work with Nile right?" He tried to approach the subject.

"Yes I do." Erwin looked at him surprised, why Levi wanted to talk about this scumbag, when there seemed to be more pressing matters on hand.

"I need more information on him. Whatever you can give me. Any dirt, anything at all." Levi pressed on, watching Erwin's thick eyebrows pull together in confusion.

"Why?" the alpha dared to ask, obviously confused, before remembering he wasn't supposed to ask questions. Levi tsked at him, annoyed, giving him a pointed look.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not sure there is much to tell." Erwin amended, which made Levi sigh again, almost in defeat. 

"He works in marketing, not very good at the job, in my opinion."

"I already know that." Levi butted in, before listening on.

"He mostly lazes around all day. He's married to Marie. They have kids."

"Know that too, already." Levi sighed, heavily.

He already suspected that Nile was cheating on his wife, but was sure he couldn't stick it on him. His chick didn't seem to care, where her hubby parked his floppy dick.

Was there even a way to get dirt on Nile, something to blame and blackmail him with, so he would cower off?

"Is there anything else I can do to help, with whatever the problem is?" Erwin asked hopeful to be able to help Levi. The omega gritted his teeth, scowling heavily, like the next words would cost him all his dignity.

Can I please hide under your skirt?- was on the tip of his tongue, ready to escape, but he wouldn't allow himself to sink this low.

Levi took another sip of his tea, the cup mostly empty by now, no longer giving his fingertips a burning sensation of distraction.

"Alright, something else. If… let me stress again, IF! I would ask you to take me back home to your place, would you take me? Would you promise to stop being an overbearing clingy ass and give me some freaking fucking room to breathe?... urgh no… forget that last part." Levi rattled his cup on the saucer, fidgeting in place, his emotions were already getting the better of him. "Could I stay with you. And maybe, maybe get a bit of room to move about? There's stuff I need to do. I don't want to keep freeloading on Mike and Nana. Nana is nice, but Mike stinks like a mutt." Levi muttered.

Like I need to fix my fucking house, I need to end Nile, I also need that fucking map in your posession and deal with being fucking preggers. I just dunno what to do first. - is what Levi chose not to say.

"I also want cuddles and I want to be loved, but I hate people and fuck this!" He hadn't planned to say the last part out loud, it just slipped. Levi had one hand buried in his hair, twisting and pulling at the strands. He almost jumped out of his skin, as Erwin threw his strong arms around him and gently hugged him close to his chest. The alpha's scent surrounding Levi like a comfort blanket.

Erwin felt his chest tighten up at Levi’s stammered confession, talking about his feelings and needs for the first time to him, maybe even for the first time to any one ever, seeing how much he struggled with finding the right words and still unsure how much he could, or wanted to open up about. After all, every word was a sign of vulnerability and Erwin felt honored that his mate shared them with him. 

Although his head rummaged at the mention of Nile of all things. Fucking Nile! There was nothing interesting about this guy to tell, wasn’t it?

‘So the excuses on their first encounter, working for Nile in his maid outfit, had some truth to it?’ Erwin wondered, as he clutched his mate in his arms gently, stroking the shivering arms with soft fingers. 

Keeping his questions to himself, duly noted in the archive of his brain, Erwin intended to investigate further in due time, even considering to get a bit nice and chatty with the office ladies, who always knew a little too much about anyone and everything not regarding their job, but working the rumor mill was their expertise. 

But for now, he focused on Levi, who struggled for a moment against the arms surrounding him, obviously startled by Erwin’s sudden expression of affection. He lessened the pressure of his hug, holding Levi loosely in his embrace, giving him the option to shrug him off again, as he remembered his mate’s request to not be a pushy overbearing mess. 

“Of course you can stay.” Erwin mumbled into the black mob of hair, before pressing a brief kiss on it. “And of course I will give you your privacy. I prepared a space for you, the guest room, that is connected to the bath you previously occupied. This way you have a room to sleep and a bathroom all to yourself, we only have to share the kitchen, if you want to that is, otherwise I can stay out of it, while you use it to your heart's content. Although you are always welcomed in my rooms, I won’t disturb you in yours.” 

The alpha wouldn’t have admitted it out loud and a few days ago he would have never thought that hearing ‘Mike stinks like a mutt’ would make him so happy.

“As long as it isn’t designed, as the rest of your grandpa's interior.” Levi scoffed with no actual bite to it, sounding more like a cramped attempt to joke, than actual disapproval of the suggestion. “I’m sorry. I… thanks. I should be grateful that you let me come back. I’m not much of a good omega I suppose.” He added quickly, after observing his alpha’s confusion, although Erwin’s shocked gasp was only faked in playful theatralics, he wasn’t truly offended, knowing that his design choices weren’t very popular with other people as well. 

If anything, it showed that Levi was still very afraid of his alpha lashing out at him for mouthing off. Erwin kept that in mind, nuzzling his mate lovingly, as if to show him, that he wasn’t angry at all. 

“Don’t worry, aside from a few blankets and pillows, I haven’t bought much yet. So you can choose whatever you like.”

With that, it was settled. 

Levi packed his few things back into his backpack, while Erwin waited for him, draining his brain for how he would explain this to Mike and Nanaba, without starting a brawl with the other alpha. This train of thought however deemed itself as a waste of time after all, since Mike didn’t put up any fight at all, as he seemed quite relieved that Levi wanted to leave with Erwin on his own free will. Although he still eyed the smaller alpha with a warning gaze, while they waited for Nana to finally let Levi free of her arms, hugging him, like she never wanted to let go of him, but in the end accepting the other omega’s decision. 

She wrote down her phone number for him, so he could reach out for her whenever something happened, or just as a means form him, if he wanted to stay in contact. The tear filled eyes of the woman, as Levi left the house, Nanaba truly looking at Erwin for the first time, since what happened, were more intimidating than every threatening gaze of Mike would ever be. 

This omega had seen war and would leave for battle again and again, if only one soul could be saved. For that the alpha respected her deeply, promising with an intent gaze back, to never disappoint her trust again.

  
  


The car ride back was a little awkward, but Levi gladly accepted the hand Erwin left on the gearstick for him to reach, whenever he didn't need it to operate the car.

They made a short stop at the grocery store, stocking up on real food. Erwin let him pick whatever he desired and despite a real huge bunch of cleaning products finding their way into the cart, the alpha was glad to see Levi picking out food he actually liked. 

The omega was hesitant at first, but Erwin kept reassuring him in small words, that there was no limit on the money and he would happily buy the stuff Levi wanted.

It was an odd experience for Levi to wander the aisles so carelessly and freely, knowing he didn't need to hide stuff, because he needed to shoplift them. 

He also found a few nick nacks, like a really soft gray fleece blanket, a few interesting books and a plushy, that just had the most adorable cute puppy eyes. He rolled it around in his hands, debating whether or not he could show this much vulnerability to his alpha. Erwin waited patiently at the cart for Levi to decide. He gave him a soft smile, encouraging him to add it to their purchase. It took a while, but Levi put it into the booster seat for children and gave Erwin a short hug, not sure how the alpha handled PDA. Erwin squeezed him gently.

He didn't dare look at the end result, when Erwin handed over his black Amex at the cash register without even blinking. In his world the 100 bucks were little more than pocket change. He was just happy for Levi to indulge.

Of course ever the responsible alpha, Erwin carried the bags without protest, leaving Levi only with the plushy and a light back of fruits to carry.

They returned to the high rise parking garage and took the lift upstairs, glad that nobody disturbed them.

Levi was feeling a little queasy by now, but put it down to nerves. He didn't want another round of morning sickness in the middle of the day. Wasn't that shit called morning sickness, indicating it only happened in the mornings?

But despite his best efforts, he had barely looked around his designed room, before he dashed into the bathroom to throw up yet again. 

Erwin sighed, packing the groceries away in the kitchen and the pantry, before setting up another cup of tea for the omega. 

It took awhile for the nausea to fade, which almost made Levi cry again, but he struggled through, retreating to the kitchen with hunched shoulders and his head down.

He noticed that the moving boxes were absent from his room and Erwin had put fresh sheets on the bed, but it wasn't as clean, as Levi liked it to be. He would spend at least a few hours scrubbing the shit out of the room, after he’d finished his tea.

He observed Erwin, who thankfully didn't try to feed him right away, which Levi was thankful for.

The tea helped him settle down a bit, as he waited for his blankets, pillows and plushy to finish the washing circle, he had put them on, right after tearing off the price tags.

Erwin had put a laptop next to Levi on the counter, along with a postit note filled with numbers.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" He questioned tiredly, exhaustion already catching up with him, even if he didn't want to take a nap, as long as he still deemed the room filthy. 

Erwin had properly tried his best to clean it to Levi's satisfaction, but cleaning wasn't his forte. How had the big blonde even survived for so long on his own? It was a miracle to Levi. 

"I figured you probably don't feel like going out and I won't force you, but you can order whatever you want for your room online. This right here is my credit card information and I trust you, so feel free to use it to pay. I want you to be comfortable in there. Whatever you might need, you can have, furniture, drapes, paint for the walls, whatever you like. It's your choice." Erwin said earnestly, powering up the laptop and showing Levi the code to login. The omega gaped at him.

Was the alpha for real? 

There was a whole bunch of bullshit he could do with this sort of information. He could book a flight to Hawaii and be gone within the blink of an eye, but Erwin didn't seem concerned at all. It made a strange warm feeling bubble up in Levi's gut. For the first time, he realized how much Erwin really cared and how sorry he probably felt. He was trying really hard to make it up to Levi. He never had met an alpha like this. To show him trust like this, gave Levi a glimpse, that deep down Erwin wasn't selfish at all.

As Erwin saw the new found trust gleaming in Levi’s eyes, he was glad that his strategy was working. Giving out private data, as a sign of his own trust towards his mate, he hoped that this might be the first step to a mutual bond, since Erwin didn’t know if he could handle losing Levi again. Every ounce of his body yearned for his mate, not only his omega’s body, but also his heart and soul. His own heart had already melted, when Levi had hugged him in the store full of gratefulness for the plushy, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink, obviously feeling shy to show his affection, or not knowing how much PDA was appropriate. He looked too adorable with the big plush lama, almost half his own size, in his arms, that in this moment Erwin couldn’t have denied him anything at all. 

After giving Levi his credit card information, Erwin decided to leave the other alone, minding his own business, continuing his office work for the day, finding he was surprisingly rather productive, knowing his mate was safe and sound in the room next to him. Also the pain in his neck having completely faded, allowing his head to clear from the distraction and improving his efficiency. While working Erwin heard Levi rummage around in his new space, cleaning up and rearranging the furniture to his liking. When an especially loud grinding sound disrupted the silence, the alpha rushed to Levi’s space and bust inside, seeing the startled omega pushing with all his body weight – which wasn’t much and far from enough – trying to move the bed. 

“I’m sorry.” Erwin immediately explained. “I heard a noise and was afraid that you hurt yourself.” Seeing that Levi just nodded and continued his struggle, Erwin offered his help, not able to bite back a “I don’t want you to hurt yourself in your condition”.

“Huh? I don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.” Levi snarled back, with too much snark in his voice to be genuine, but it was a topic they had avoided so far, although it hung heavily between them. 

“Levi, I am not stupid and neither are you. You know what I am talking about.” Erwin reasoned, moving one step closer to Levi with open palms offering his help. “Please.” 

The omega stepped back from the bed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking annoyed and relieved at the same time. 

“Fine.” He finally agreed, making way for Erwin to rearrange the bed, giving him directions. “I need to be able to look at the door and window or I can’t sleep.”

After Erwin finished, he took a good look around - knowing he wouldn’t see it again all too soon, since he didn’t intend to be in this room often, wanting this to be Levi’s space. Seeing the multiple blankets and pillows stacked up on the bed and everything unnaturally perfectly clean, was enough to tell that this was definitely not Erwin’s space. 

  
  


“I thought I might try to make some soup for dinner. I’m not much of a cook, but Nanaba gave me a recipe a few months ago, in an attempt to make my lifestyle a little healthier.” Erwin said after a while, not wanting to stay too long in Levi’s room and stink up his safe space with his pheromones. “Dinner would be ready in about an hour. I would appreciate it, if you join me, but don’t hesitate to tell me if your stomach can’t handle it, or you’d rather prefer to eat in here by yourself.”

With that Erwin returned to the kitchen. He took out the printed copy of Nana’s recipe, which was truly for idiots, only chopping vegetables and potatoes and cooking them for 15 minutes in water with spices and herbs. Still it took him forever to slice the offending food, thinking that he would never undergo so much effort just for himself alone, but Levi was worth every minute of it. He needed to make sure he was nurtured properly, not only for his sake, but Levi was metaphorically eating for at least two and Erwin wouldn’t forgive himself, if he didn’t support this the best he could. He didn’t know how Levi felt about the whole situation, not wanting to confront him with that discussion yet, or overwhelming him with his own opinion, but he was actually looking forward to the child(-ren). Relief flooded through him, that Levi had returned to him and he didn’t have to be afraid anymore, that he would never set eyes on his own offspring. Maybe, just maybe, if he tried hard enough, if he could make Levi love him, as much as he loved Levi, his mate would see it the same way. Feeling nothing but uttermost joy at the prospect of starting a family together. 

Suddenly Erwin felt pain rushing through his finger, blood covering the knife in his hand slightly, as he had cut himself, while he had been lost in his thoughts. Seeing the red pool around some freshly chopped carrots, he wondered, where these intense thoughts had come from. 

Love?

He never was truly in love with anyone, never thought he would ever be. The way his heart fluttered, when he thought about Levi, the way his body ached for his warmth, mind clouded with worry and pain, when they were separated.

Was this only the effects of their bond or was this love? 

Throwing the dirtied carrots into the trash, he shook his head, ignoring the fact that he had already fallen for Levi hard and far beyond the point of no return.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feels just like yesterday, it's halftime for me. 3 more weeks to go until surgery but I'm getting better day by day, working hard to be the best version of myself I can be.  
I didn't have as much editing time as I anticipated, but I'm gonna post now anyway. I feel like you've already waited for fucking ever for this. Let me know if you liked it. Bye bye

Levi was furious at Erwin's bold assumption and even though they had avoided the elephant in the room by a merry inch. At that exact moment, he wished to punch Erwin in the face, once again just for good measure.

"Carnal desired fucking bastard." He muttered under his breath, after Erwin had left. The omega was grateful for the alpha's help, even though he was pretty sure, he wouldn't keep the bed, it was way too small and all the furniture was after all old fashioned dark oak, which was just so depressing, it put a damper on his mood just by looking at it. 

He perched himself on the bed, looking online for something nice, but not too expensive, and just as he was about to add the best looking, but cheapest bed into amazon's cart, his finger burned, keeping him from pressing the mouse. On autopilot he put it in his mouth, but not tasting blood as expected. Well there shouldn't be anyways, since there was nothing he could have cut himself at, but he looked at his pointer finger perplexed, before an old wives tale reemerged from his memory.

Erwin!

Levi pushed the laptop to the side, where it toppled over onto the bedding, before rushing to the kitchen. He skidded to a halt in the open space imaginary doorway, looking at his alpha, who was holding his finger under the kitchen sink, the tab turned to icy cold.

Levi rolled his eyes, fishing a bandaid out of the cabinet, before walking up to the alpha.

"You big fucking idiot. Can't handle your knives, eh?" He smirked, taking Erwin's hand gently, waiting for the water to fade from his skin. The cut wasn't deep and it had mostly stopped bleeding already. Levi put it in his mouth regardless, swiping his tongue over the digit to clean it with his salvia, before deftly putting the band aid on. His eyes never left Erwin's shocked gaze. It was a pretty intimate move, born by instincts, but Levi didn't regret it. He gently blew a raspberry onto the alpha's injured finger, before letting go of his hand. 

"Can I help you with preparing dinner?"

"You don't have to." Erwin tried to shrug it off.

"But I want to! We can't have you cutting off any more digits." Levi said with a smirk, taking a peek into the already boiling pot on the stove and the leftover veggies, still waiting on the cutting board. 

His alpha was useless in the kitchen, apart from making tea. How had he even managed to get this buffed out, left alone retain his physique, given his shortcomings in the kitchen.

Erwin watched in fascination, as Levi took almost the biggest knife in the entire kitchen and went to work, cutting up the veggies with practiced ease and amazing speed, without any cut off limbs to account for. He raided the spice rack, adding a pinch of this and that, not even looking at Nana's recipe once, before putting the lid back on the pot and turning the heat down, to let it simmer. it barely took him more than 10 minutes to get the job done, before he put the kettle on for more tea.

"You are good to go in 30 minutes, but please don't burn yourself." The omega huffed, giving Erwin a soft smile, as he sat down next to him at the counter. "Are you going to cut yourself, whenever I'm close to make a purchase in the future?" Levi inquired jokingly, leaving Erwin gaping wordlessly, before he leaned his head against the big biceps. He couldn't even reach the alpha's shoulders, while sitting, Erwin drafting his small frame even further. "You could have just ordered pizza." Levi snorted, enjoying teasing the alpha a little too much. 

“If you keep that up, I might need to punish you.” Erwin threatened jokingly, nudging Levi’s shoulder slightly, before leaning down to rest his chin on top of the smaller man’s head, who scoffed in annoyance. Levi probably didn’t need to be reminded of their size difference constantly, but Erwin enjoyed it far too much, to ever let it go. 

Truth was, he found his mate’s height and stature a beautiful contrast to his own bulky muscle. Remembering how small the omega looked beneath him, how slim his waist was compared to the alpha’s broad frame, had Erwin’s cheeks tinted a slight pink, cursing himself, because of how much this turned him on. His pheromones spiking was the last thing he needed, when he wanted to gain Levi’s trust, so Erwin ordered his stupid alpha instinct to shut down, until his affections would be welcomed again. 

“Punish me?” Levi inquired, disrupting the train of thought in his head. The silky voice, as well as the gray hooded eyes looking up at him, not making the task easier. Just as Erwin had calmed himself down for a bit, Levi added “Will you tie me up or what?” a smirk playing at the corner of the omega’s mouth.

The alpha felt his mouth go dry at the images in his head. Levi probably didn’t know about his preferences yet, but it was scary, how accurate he was about what he would actually like to do, if they someday found the mutual trust to share an experience like that together. Hearing Levi’s voice loaded with suggestion, probably just making a filthy joke, had Erwin’s mind spinning with pictures in his head of a tied up Levi on his bed, gagged and immobilized, trying new Shibari techniques together. The omega only able to wiggle pitifully, due to the restrictions, moans and whines muffled through the gag. 

“Yes, I would do that.” Erwin answered with a rough edge to his voice, mouth dry like sandpaper. Feeling Levi’s body stiffen beside himself, the alpha let out a chuckle and ruffled Levi’s hair. “You started that game, fucking tease.” The omega gnawed on his bottom lip, not quite distressed yet, but it was obvious he was worried, that he had crossed a line and that punishment would indeed come to him, but there was also a hint of interest in the topic evident. Erwin decided to let Levi sort his thoughts for a minute, moving to get the soup bowls, serving his mate a good portion with a soft smile. 

They ate in silence, not quite enjoying the soup, since it tasted very… well not bad, but healthy and for Erwin, who was used to strong spices and aromas, something homemade with a lot of vegetables, was something he had to get used to. Cringing internally at the carrots, which he made himself eat like a champ, wanting to set a good example for his omega and encourage him to eat more, or at least something and it worked, especially since Levi’s taste buds seemed to be quite content with the healthy meal. 

After they had finished, Erwin turned to load the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, the clinking of the porcelain against metal filling the room so loud, that he almost overheard Levi’s shy whisper.

"Punish me.” Levi’s words completed the blond's inner turmoil. “Not now… but hypothetically… I- we-“ the voice turned smaller and smaller under the blue gaze, stuttering and losing itself, as his cheeks turned red and he looked away in shame. “When I do something wrong, I need to be put in my place. But I need to be able to trust your judgment for that. So not right now but someday… I would like to.”

Having finally been able to blurt out the words he had been struggling with, Levi turned red like a tomato and rushed back to his room, without even muttering as much as a good night, apparently flustered beyond belief, or maybe even confused, or angry at himself for voicing his needs. 

Erwin watched Levi leave, not able to comprehend what had just happened. Even when he laid down in his own bed, still alone, still feeling too lonely for one person, still wanting Levi next to him, although the separation pain didn’t burn as strong as before, since Levi was not far away, the alpha couldn’t get rid of the pictures Levi planted in his mind, with his teasing insinuations. 

Giving up his self-restraint, Erwin opened his night drawer, eyes immediately falling on the rope and handcuffs among other things, further fueling the movie in his mind, as the alpha reached for the lube. Pulling his boxers down and giving his raging erection a squeeze for good measure, he slicked up his right hand, before it wandered lower to take a hold of the problem. Thinking of Levi only a few meters away, he tried to stifle his deep moans and rough pants with his left hand, so his mate wouldn’t hear him, as his strokes turned more and more desperate. He was imagining Levi kneeling in front of him, looking up at him with those stormy gray eyes, lips glistening with salvia and other filth, as he whispered in this sulky voice ‘Punish me, Sir’.

The dinner had been delicious, even if Erwin looked a little constipated while eating and even, if he had tried to loosen up the alpha's composure, it had backfired at him spectacularly. 

Levi's face could easily be used as an iron right then and there, considering how hot and bothered his admission left him feeling and if his rosey cheeks and sweaty palms were any indication. He didn't even know why he had entrusted this tidbit of personal information to this alpha - his alpha. It just kind of slipped out of his control, in the heat of the moment, since he had been thinking back to all the weird toys, he had found in Erwin's dresser, during his inspection. 

He was curious, he still thought his alpha was a perverted old man, but apart from having his hands held up, or forced on his back during heat, as Erwin had done, Levi had never been restricted or restrained, nor really indulged in one night stands. Always too afraid of the consequences intimacy brought along. 

Now he was bonded, he was Erwin's forever. 

A part of him felt obligated to cater to all his alpha's needs, the other half was just a curious virgin all things considered. Sure he had beaten off a couple times, mostly during heat and he had a couple fingers up his ass, but that's as fancy, as it ever got.

Usually his jobs would give him a thrill, would help him settle, but he couldn't do this any longer, Erwin wouldn't approve. 

Feeling so restless was keeping him on edge every day and he had no regrets offering it up to Erwin. He only had a small flame of hope licking at his heart, that maybe Erwin would know how to help. How to tame the beast inside himself. Nevertheless, he felt ashamed for even mentioning it and didn't know what else to do, other than leave right away. 

He wasn't such a desperate slut, that he would spread his legs just like that on his first night back. Erwin had promised him, that Levi would be the one to call the shots and set the pace, and despite longing to cuddle with his alpha, the omega forced himself to go to his own bed, to order said new furniture he had abandoned prior, just out of spite, along with a couple of other things, before he got lost in the world wide web. He tried asking google for help, but stopped once he realized that Erwin would most likely be able to track the history of the browser.

Fucking shit and he had no idea how to delete that from the network he was logged in. It was mortifying and almost made him cry.

He had literally no idea what he had signed himself up for, there also was the pregnancy, which still freaked him out on top of everything.

He didn't feel any nesting obligations or closeness to the life growing inside of himself. He couldn't picture himself with pups at all, or anything related to it. He didn't feel resentment either, just fear. 

Fear of the unknown. 

Fear of the future. 

Fear to lose control. 

Fear that maybe Erwin's character would change again with pups in the picture. 

He hardly knew who he was now.

He knew the alpha was possessive and it would most likely get worse, if this pregnancy was progressing, but he just didn't know what would be the right option.

Levi gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to get lost in another hour long shower and scrubbing session, born from disgust of what he had let himself become. 

He tried snuggling the blanket, he could faintly hear Erwin moving to his own room, while Levi kept tossing and turning around, before he got up frustrated and opened the door.

Erwin had said, he could ask for whatever it was. He was already pampered and well fed, but touch starved. It was fucking late, he should be asleep, but found himself knocking on the alpha's bedroom door gently. There was some shuffling heard, as he opened the door, squeezing himself through the gap, plushie clutched tightly in hand and obviously looking like a 5 year old, who had a bad dream, only clad in some pj bottoms. 

Erwin had rolled over and looked at him surprised. The room was only dimly lit, giving the alpha a rosy glow on his cheeks. He seemed a bit flustered.

Levi noted, that the air was thick with alpha pheromones, it still smelled like sex in here too. He just hoped he hadn't interrupted something.

"Erwin?" He couldn't keep the whine out of his voice. This was getting ridiculous, but he needed permission to climb into the alpha's bed. He didn't want to be apart. Wanted to listen to the strong heartbeat, or otherwise the nightmares would sure hunt his ass, or he wouldn't sleep at all.

The pace of Erwins hand quickened, moving in a blur, as more and more images filled his mind. Levi on his knees looking up to him, gagged and tied up, ass reddened after a nice spanking, the white globes flushed and slick leaking out of the stretched hole. God he was close. Eyes clamped shut, he concentrated on the impending tightening in his loins, his mind chanting ‘Levi, Levi, Levi!’ over and over again. He almost overheard the faint knocking on his door, pausing for a minute, Erwin concluded, that there most definitely had been a knock. 

Levi! 

The alpha looked on with widened eyes, first at the door and then at the impressive cock still in his hand, throbbing urgently at him to hurry the fuck up and finish, what he started, the head colored an especially angry red at the neglect. Panic and embarrassment flooded his mind. 

On one hand, he couldn’t just ignore his mate, who against all odds and to his absolute surprise knocked on his door at night, on the other hand he still had his raging erection in his fist, that bobbed in delight at the thought of Levi getting closer. 

Erwin watched the door open up and moved to quickly pull his boxers up again, so he could roll over in a position that would hide his - not so little- problem. 

Not a second too late, Levi’s little frame appeared through the gap, looking every bit like a small child, with his plushie in his arms, that timidly wanted to ask his parents, if he may sleep with them in bed, because he was afraid of the dark.

‘Did he want to-?’ Erwin’s mind was torn between screaming ‘hell no and hell yes!’ at the same time, as embarrassment at the entire situation seeped through every pore of his body. 

His room must be filled to the brim with his pheromones, he wondered why Levi didn’t run away on the spot, when he could obviously smell his arousal. The soft whining of his name, shattered every ounce of will to deny his omega and before he could reason with himself, he found himself inviting Levi into his bed, shuffling a bit to the side to make room for his mate, intending to stay firmly away from him and just sleep next to each other, with a little bit of distance. 

But apparently Levi had other plans, arranging himself in a spooning position, with himself as the little spoon, moving closer and closer, following his alpha, who tried to back off discreetly. Erwin soon heard a whimper of rejection coming from his mate and immediately regretted that he didn’t excuse himself to the bathroom first to jerk off in the shower. Now he had to deal with an insistent hard on, that surely wouldn’t go down with his mate in this close proximity, feeling his body warmth and smelling the ripe sweet scent, the bonding mark directly in front of his eyes. On the contrary, his desire only increased, with the delicate frame shuffling closer to him, his omega obviously yearning for him, too. 

So Erwin leaned his upper body forward to embrace his mate with his arms, while keeping his hips away from the small butt, his whole body angled in an awkward position, in which he surely wouldn’t be able to sleep. But that didn’t matter, as long as his mate found some rest, he needed it more than him.

“What the fuck, Erwin?” Levi scoffed tiredly and shifted his own body back with a rapid motion. “Did you forget how to cuddle?” 

All of a sudden the small ass grinded against the bulge in Erwin’s boxers with force, letting the alpha choke on his own groan at the stimulation. Awkward silence filled the room, both not daring to move another inch of their bodies. Levi’s ass still pressed against the throbbing erection, the cleft between his cheeks lined up perfectly against the length. 

“Oh.” Levi echoed faintly and Erwin only waited for him to jump away from him in terror and fear.

Levi felt so stupid, for not picking up on all the signs earlier, his usually pale skin, turning ashen for a second, before turning into an embarrassing shade of pink. 

His ass was still perfectly pressed against Erwin's thick member, that if he concentrated enough, he could almost feel him pulsing against his skin. The alpha was stock still, did not move away, but did not put a move on him either, which left them in an awkward stand off position.

"Fuck Erwin… I'm so sorry." Levi tried to apologize for interrupting the alpha, who only groaned low and long in response, as Levi robbed forwards a little, to ease off the pressure.

Erwin had his eyes closed, breath still panting, as a bead of sweat slid down his temple.

"Fuck indeed." The alpha groaned, cheeks blushing furiously, as he tried to cover his face with his forearm and rolled over onto his back. He rested for a few minutes, waiting for Levi to make a wild dash out of the room, but the omega didn't even twitch. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Levi. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Let me just get cleaned up real quick and we can cuddle all you want." Erwin apologized, as best as he could, voice sounding still as fucked out, as it had before.

Levi stared at the alpha, who struggled out of bed, unable to hide the big telltale sign of soiled boxer briefs, that must be sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Erwin kept mumbling apologies, as he dashed into the ensuite, leaving Levi on the bed all by himself.

A keen was close to escape the omega's throat, as he was enveloped in a thick cloud of alpha orgasm hormones, upon Erwin's departure. It didn't make him horney, but indeed a bit proud that he had made his alpha cum, more or less by just saying his name. He had knocked, but obviously Erwin had indeed been busy, but trying to compromise. He could have thrown Levi on the bed and taken him roughly, but he had done the exact opposite. The omega was astonished at the sheer willpower his alpha had just demonstrated, by respecting his boundaries. 

The water from the bathroom tapered off, as Erwin reemerged, towel fastened low around his hips, allowing his evident V to peek out, as he shuffled to the dresser to get into a new pair of boxers. 

Levi racked his eyes across every sliver of skin, drinking it all up in silent approval. His alpha was indeed a good looking bastard.

Erwin climbed back under the covers, but left some space between them.

"You can leave at any time, if you want to." Erwin reassured him in a soothing voice.

"No. I'm sorry for spoiling your private moment, I had no idea." The omega stammered, rolling closer to the alpha to paw gently at his wide chest. Erwin opened his arms wider, accomodating to Levi's request for room, as the omega rested his cheek on the warm pectoral muscles, right over his mate's heart.

The noise of his cellphone ringing in the next room over, even if very faint made the omega press even closer, until Erwin was all but wrapped around him like a koala.

"It's okay, next time I will put a sock on the doorknob to warn you off. A dirty old sock." 

He cackled softly into the raven's hair, as Levi scoffed loudly. At least the joke helped h is muscles to relax. Erwin hadn't missed the moment of tension, when the phone sounded, but was glad Levi had decided to ignore it and seek solace in his embrace instead.

"Old pervert." He muttered against the alpha's sternum, rubbing up closer, to encourage the alpha to pet him some more. Erwin's dancing fingertips were making him sleepy and helped him relax, he really needed to uncoil at least for one night.

Erwin never felt so embarrassed in his entire life, as he came in his pants like a horny teenager, just from his omega saying his name and moving against him for a bit. Although this probably saved him from any further, more awkward situations and Levi seemed surprisingly cool with it, not running away in fear or making fun of him. 

Instead he startled Erwin with apologizing and almost shocked him with still wanting to cuddle, pressing his small frame against the heavier body firmly, demanding even more affection from his mate. So Erwin complied happily, stroking his fingers lazily through the black strands and allowing himself to close his eyes, while enjoying the moment. 

When he woke again, Levi’s body was draped completely over his, like a light summer blanket, his soft breath tickling his chest. Just as he eyed his alarm clock, he realized that it was one of those dreadful days, where you woke up exactly one minute before the alarm and Erwin hadn’t even finished the thought, as the ringing began. Slapping the alarm clock forcefully, he stopped the alarm, but it was too late, Levi was grumbling in annoyance, as his sleep was disrupted.

“Again?” he mumbled with a sleepy voice. “You don’t have to go to work, why is it still on?” 

“I only have a home office permit, I still have to do the same amount of work as usual.” Erwin explained, as he shifted to get up, moving Levi gently away from him. “Speaking of which, I should fix us some breakfast.”

Erwin climbed out of the bed dressed only in his boxers, feeling a bit awkward after the events of last night and still not quite used to the company, but Levi said nothing and only stared at him, with his hooded gray eyes following his every move. 

“Please don’t burn the house down.” The omega mocked, still lounging on the king sized bed like a lazy black cat. 

“I was thinking about bringing something nice from the bakery for us to eat.” Erwin chuckled, fully aware of the sad fact, that he might put not only himself, but also his mate and probably everyone else living in this building in mortal danger, if he would attempt to make fresh pancakes, just to impress his omega. He gave up on impressing anyone with his cooking skills pretty soon in his life and focused on his other expertises. 

“Would you like anything specific?” he inquired, but Levi only gave him a shy shrug, mumbling something, about not really going to bakeries often and he would take whatever Erwin got.

  
  


The bakery on the corner was more like a small café, some might even call it a fancy little shop, where the finer women or the assistants of the wealthy families would buy their breakfast. The selection was impressive and everything was decorated, either with powdered sugar, fruits or even little chocolate leaves, to give even the simplest buns a noble appeal. Although everything was a little too expensive, no one living in this area seemed to mind the price, the line as long as usual, with a few chattering wives ahead of him. He would have turned on his heels and left, if he had recognized the omega woman right in front of him in time.

“Erwin.” Nile’s wife crooned softly, as she turned around, holding a big bag with insane amounts of bread in her hands. She looked tired, but still forced a smile on her face, as she saw him. Erwin couldn’t really tell, if she was truly delighted or internally screaming inside, just like himself. “You know, kids are always hungry.” She laughed in an attempt at smalltalk, lifting the bag in her arms. “Are you here to bring something for your mate? Nile mentioned the good news.” Despite still smiling up at him – she was significantly shorter than the alpha, although not as short as Levi – you could hear the faint regret mingling in her voice. 

She averted her gaze for a moment, eyes blinking rapidly for a second, before she added “I am glad. I- I truly am.” Now she was nervous, Erwin could see that, just in the way she tugged back a strand of her long hair, behind her ear, gnawing on her rose colored lips. 

A few years ago he would have adored that sight, now it didn’t make his heart flutter in the slightest anymore, it was nothing compared to the pale skin and stormy gray eyes waiting for him at home. “I would love to meet her one day.” She said with genuine interest in her voice. “Or him. I remember you never truly cared about things like that.”

The blond chuckled in response, agreeing that this might be nice out of politeness, hoping that she would never take him up on that. 

Obviously she would really love to have those sweet couple evenings together, but still not being the brightest candle on the cake, she would probably babble about it, annoying her not very attentive husband, after a long day of work and her request would only reach deaf ears, as Nile wouldn’t even listen to anything she said - so basically the usual. 

Even hours after that meeting, Erwin had a bad feeling about this, but he chose not to tell Levi about his encounter, not wanting to worry his mate unnecessarily. Instead he presented the sweet smelling selection of baked goods in front of Levi like an offering for the gods, praying that whatever shit was going on, he would be able to protect his family.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, look what we got here. The hospital kicked me out bc they suspected me to have Corona, turned out I fucking didn't have it - thank fuck- but still meh. And in this ongoing craze my surgery got cancled, leaving me in pain and pretty much at the same point, where I started 6 months ago. But I don't want to complain. It feels like world war 3 out there and the world seems to end, at least for some individuals, that seem to need all of the toilet paper, bc they assume Corona means you shit yourself to death - wait for the joy, when they figure out, it's a respiratory issue haha. So while most of us are in lock down or quarantaine, I thought I get a head start. Enjoy this update.  
(I'm trying to use my time off from work, to edit and relax, since my work is closed permanently so far, while Skoene is busy manning the crazies in their job.)

When Marie returned home with the baked goods, she walked right in on Nile at his laptop, deciding that now was as good a time as any, to tell him about meeting Erwin. Of course Nile ignored her babbling, too busy, checking the meager savings account, he had stolen from Levi for any new deposit, but still nothing.

It had been months, since the Da Vinci in France had been stolen, it must have been sold by now. He didn't know if Levi actually pulled off the job, but he knew that this omega rat had been at least in on the stunt. So no matter what his part had been, he should have received a hefty sum for it by now. 

HE WANTED THAT FUCKING MONEY!

The compensation money from the police for ratting out any suspect had been peanuts, compared to the possible millions an original Da Vinci could rein in.

The omega was fooling him. 

There must be another account or stash of cash somewhere. His friends had already turned the shithole Levi lived in upside down. It had taken him weeks to find out where the omega lived, but they came up empty, only able to track his scent to Mike's place. 

He knew next to nothing about the giant, other than that, that he was equally as much of a pussy licker, as Erwin. God damn Erwin, getting that promotion right from under his nose.

"Could you just shut the fuck up!" He seethed at his wife, who was still going on about this and that.

"No! I won't! You know, if you would work harder, we could actually pay for shit. Ever since, I can only go to the bakery twice a month, Nile! People have started talking! I met Erwin, who even went there, despite being newly mated. He properly spoils his mate rotten and you won't even give me that!" She complained, in that annoying hysteric voice of hers.

"Maybe, you should have taken Erwin then? If you wouldn't waste my money on this shit, I might even buy you a new dress, but you can't even cook decent food, you useless cunt!" He bellowed back at her, which immediately made her tear up and cry ugly sobs.

"Erwin probably has a better piece of ass up there! And don't you come at me for not earning enough money, whenever I fucking work to feed you and the pups, who are just as ungrateful as you, you complain and keep me from finishing anything!" He barked at her, before pushing her to the floor, to put her in her place.

Erwin.

It was always Erwin.

Erwin being promoted.

Erwin being better at this.

Erwin being better at that.

Erwin finding the perfect mate.

Erwin getting a pay raise.

Erwin living at the rooftop.

Erwin fucking everything Smith.

And he couldn't even make a little dwarf of an omega obey his rules. It left Nile feeling so angry, that he went for his phone again, right after leaving his wife to make herself useful, other than by being a sobbing mess.

He was ready to explode, after Levi had yet again ignored him the previous evening, obviously not interested in his charade of a deal. It was about time, he had to tighten the ropes again.

-

Levi was grateful for the variety Erwin offered to him, but he kept drinking 2 cups of ginger tea, prior to even attempting to eat. He had thrown up at least 3 times, while Erwin had been gone and he was already so done with it, but also feeling bad about the toxic thoughts that accompanied his pregnancy. 

By now, he couldn't even deny it. No fucking stomach bug ever lasted this long.

But the waiting was worth the while, because breakfast tasted fucking amazing. Indeed so good, he wanted to moan at the taste.

Erwin left to answer some work related emails in his study, when Levi's phone started ringing yet again. Crankily he went to his room, leaving the door open, intending to keep the conversation short, as he answered shortly, before it could go to voicemail.

"Just fuck you, you piece of fucking shit." He growled agitated, before realizing that Nile wasn't having any of it.

"You think you are in any position to deny my offer, huh? Listen carefully you useless omega. I have proof right here, right here on my screen of you stealing the Da Vinci. It only costs me a small call to give it to the police and get your ass jailed up, if you don't pay." Nile threatened, voice dangerously cold.

This couldn't be happening.

There was no proof!

There couldn't be!

He had cleaned up so well after himself.

Farlan had the painting already sold.

He only had gotten his expenses met, since it had been a requested object. 

There was no way Nile knew about this deal, nobody knew, but the threats were so genuine sounding, that his blood ran cold, leaving him scared for his life.

Never once had there been a trace of him. And now Nile could rat him out so easily? There would be tests to find similar cases and they would track down his entire history, so he would never see the light of day, ever again.

Omega's didn't get a legal trial, they either got locked up forever, or executed right on the spot.

He was fucked!

Levi wanted to throw up all over again, for an entire different reason and he didn't feel like he could disturb Erwin, while he was working, so his mind just ran with it, imagining the worst case scenario.

Caught up in his work, Erwin barely heard the ringing, as Levi received another call. He could hear a voice say something in a threatening manner, but couldn't make out the content, but he could feel his mate's distress clenching at his heart. The alpha paused his work to check in on Levi, as he peeked through the door to Levi's room, he didn't expect to actually see him cowering on the floor, shaking with panic and pupils blown wide.

"Levi?" He inquired carefully, as he stepped closer and knelt down to face him properly. "Is everything all right?"

Levi didn't react and Erwin wasn't surprised, as he was getting more and more familiar with his personality and behaviour patterns. Still, his mate remained a wild card, but instead of being angered at his disobedience, he accepted this, without passing judgement. After all, he wanted Levi to feel safe with him and wouldn't like to disrupt their progress anymore. 

Usually reaching out, petting and hugging him, while crooning softly at him, had worked, so Erwin reached out his hand to stroke away the tears, gracing his reddened cheeks. The moment Erwins finger touched his face, Levi shoved him away, screeching, before dashing out of the room. Erwin could barely catch himself from falling down on his ass, as Levi pushed him aside. Instead of chasing after him, like his inner alpha told him to, yelling at him, to not let him get away, he stared after him, standing up slowly, as worries and fear clouded his mind. 

What did that asshole tell his mate, that he was so encompassed by fear, that he would even push away his mate reaching out to him? 

With what could you threaten him, an omega that didn't seem to have had much in his short life to live for before? 

Not wanting to overwhelm Levi further, he followed him at a slow pace, expecting him to be rummaging blindly through the apartment, instead he noticed Levi standing near the apartment door, fumbling through the keys on his keyring with numb fingers, looking for the right one to get out. 

It was obvious that he wasn't thinking clearly, completely overridden by his panic.

"Levi… please…" Erwin heard himself croon in his desperation to reach through the mental barrier, currently blurring his mates reasoning. But before he could react, the door clicked faintly and Levi had bolted out and away. Levi let the keys fall carelessly on the floor, before booking it to the stairs. 

Erwin swiftly caught himself out of the stupor, as he picked up the keys and followed suit to look down the stairs, to find his omega's swiftly moving black mob of hair, moving further and further down.

"Levi?!" He called after his omega with a strangled voice, louder than he had intended, but with no anger mingled in his tone, but Levi didn't stop. 

Instead Erwin felt his heart break at the realization of his worst fear coming alive right in front of him. 

Levi running away and him being not enough reason to stay. 

Just as he wondered, how he shattered the freshly built trust again this quick, he heard the clicking of the steps stop echoing around the staircase, before starting back up again just a second later, at an even faster pace as before. 

Looking down the stairs, he saw Levi heading up again like a maniac, chased by the devil himself. 

Although, now he was followed by another person. Erwin could only make out a shadow following behind Levi quite closely, as he himself moved down the stairs to meet Levi. 

The moment the tear flushed face contorted with terror came into view, Erwin knew that whoever Levi was afraid of, it had nothing to do with him. The relief mirrored in the gray eyes at seeing his alpha, was enough. 

The other person apparently also stopped running, now going up the stairs at an almost hesitating pace. Levi almost jumped behind Erwin for cover, as Nile stepped into view.

Levi hadn't been reasonable at all, not registering Erwin trying to reach out for him. He felt so overwhelmed by the situation, panic surging through him, the only way out seemed to take care of all problems at once, and nothing could have stopped him, as he made his way to the stairs with only one sole goal in mind.

His hands had trembled, wasting precious time fumbling with the keys to unlock the door.

They were situated 30 stories high, he only would need to gain some speed, miss a step and let himself tumble down the rest of the way, it would sure break his neck and end his misery. And if not, it would at least get rid of the pregnancy. Women had undertaken similar matters in the past, when facing the problems of bastards being born out of wedlock. 

He didn't feel like shoving a cloth hanger up his ass to help, given his ass was still feeling sore. So the stairs seemed to be the easiest option, but he couldn't even do this. 

The moment the omega wanted to let go of the railing, he came face to face with the main source of all his nightmares, the one and only Nile Dawk.

Levi's steps faltered, letting him sway forward, dangerously close to tethering over the edge and losing his step.

He turned right on his heel, almost breaking his ankle, as he hastened to get back up and away from the devil himself. He stumbled over his own legs, chased by even more fear. Had Nile finally found him, had he already brought the police along, ready to arrest him?

Terror was spreading through his veins, as he rushed straight back into Erwin's strong waiting arms, barely able to hold himself up. He would have fallen back over and down the stairs, if it wouldn't be for his alpha's strong grip around his waist, keeping him close and safe.

Levi's mind was reeling, he didn't know what to do. He wasn't a coward, hiding behind anyone, yet here he was fleeing from his life and his responsibilities. 

He couldn't even fucking kill himself. 

His tears wouldn't stop drenching his face and his fingers were cramped into the fabric of Erwin's shirt, as he pressed his desperate face into his alpha's back. He wanted to cover his ears too, to block out Nile's disgusting voice, but couldn't make himself let go of the shirt fabric clenched tightly in his hands.

"Levi." Erwin murmured gently, one hand resting on his mates skinny arm, afraid that if he let go, something bad would happen. 

Levi wasn't making sense, dread pooled in Erwin's gut, as he towered a few steps over Nile, who was staring at them with interest.

“So this is your mate?” Nile inquired, with apparent disgust in his voice, as he stepped one step closer to Erwin, who shielded his mate protectively and stared back at him mercilessly. “Please forgive me Erwin, you know. I haven’t seen him around here yet and to be honest someone like him doesn’t belong here.”

Erwin stiffened, as he felt Levi’s small hands clawing at his back, tears straining the material of his clothes. Levi was almost curling himself into his alpha, as much as he could in a standing position, not daring to look at Nile. Nile on the other hand craned his neck to get a better look at the shivering omega, obviously liking the sight a tad too much for Erwin’s liking. 

“You are in rather bad company. I thought that you would have done much better.” Nile added with disgust, enjoying the situation far too much, as he took in the sight of the panicked omega.

“This is for me to decide, Nile.” The blond snarled back, a clear signal for any other alpha, that it was time to leave now, but Nile wasn’t impressed at all, giving him an almost pity filled glance. 

“Of course, Erwin. I wouldn’t question your judgment. But I am curious, how did you two get to know each other? He isn’t quite up to your usual standards.”

There was a slight bite to Nile’s words, despite his obvious try to sound somewhat like a concerned working colleague, who was too polite to tell what he was truly thinking. 

Erwin grit his teeth and didn’t answer the question, hearing Levi whimper behind him like this simply because of Nile’s presence, made Erwin wonder. But right now the first and most important problem on his mind was how he would get Levi back inside of his apartment and calm him down again. The distress and sheer panic seeping through their bond gnawed at Erwin’s patience and he wanted to knock the other alpha over for scaring his mate like that. Internally he was sending Nile down the stairs and handing his sorry ass back to his poor wife. Despite Erwin refusing an answer to his prying question, Nile smirked up at the alpha on the steps above him and it was obvious that he had figured it out on his own. 

“It seems the filthy thief got what he deserved.” 

Erwin felt disgusted at the other alpha’s insinuation, that unfortunately wasn’t as far from the truth, as he would have liked, but Nile didn’t need to know that.

“Thank you for your concern, Nile, but I would appreciate, if you leave.” Erwin said through grit teeth, despite the polite choice of wording, earning a chuckle from Nile, who reached out to pat Erwin on the arm, like they were best buddies or some shit. His eyes widened in shock, as the other alpha slapped his hand away with a swift movement.

“I am sorry, if I wasn’t clear enough. So let me translate it for you, Nile. Leave us the fuck alone! I won’t let anyone stress out my mate like that.” He didn’t need to yell, standing above Nile like that, his voice quiet, but his tone deep and precise, biting through the air. This time even Nile got the message, stepping back a bit and putting his hands in his pockets with a shrug. His mind seemed to be racing what to do, since he didn’t want to leave like a beaten dog, while the taller alpha just stared down on him like that.

“Well, at least not anyone else, huh? You sure know how to put the bitch into place yourself.” Nile said with a sly undertone and a wink, as he turned around to leave. “I apologize for the intrusion, it won’t happen again, since I know ‘this’ is your mate.” He added, snapping back his head, to gesture at Levi, like you would gesture to a trash can. 

It was only now, that Erwin realized, he hadn’t let go of Levi for one second of the confrontation, at least one hand always on his mate, and despite that, Levi’s small fingers were still clawing at his back and into his arms, as if even this wasn't enough - as if nothing could ever be enough to ease his fear - as long as Nile was close.

Erwin had had enough of the other alpha's farce.

"Well fuck off, Nile. At least my mate isn't telling everybody on the block, who would listen, about your shrimp of a dick and bodily odor. Let alone, that you can not even support your own pups, because you are always broke as fuck. You know, by now I wouldn't even be surprised, if you got evicted, you would deserve it at least. Maybe then you'll find out first hand, what it is like to live like the rat, that you are!" Erwin snarled, as he turned around and picked Levi up bridal style, his omega's hands holding on to the alpha's neck like a vice, scent glands of his wrists rubbing up against Erwin's neck, who made his way back up the two sets of stairs. 

Nile gaped at his retreating back in utter rage.

"How dare you, Smith!" He shouted, but only heard Erwin chuckle mercilessly, as he left him standing right there, where he left him.

"You will regret this!" Nile yelled, which in turn made Levi shake only harder in his alpha's arms. If Erwin's hands wouldn't be occupied right now, he would have turned around and started a brawl, but Levi's well being was far more important, than punching that scumbag in the face. He would deal with Nile at a later date. Maybe getting him fired would be nice for a start.

It would also make it easier to get the asshole evicted.

Relief flooded the alpha, when he could finally close the front door behind them and gently set his omega down on the couch, pulling up the throw around him. Levi was a mess, drenched in snot, tears and sweat, shaking like a leaf, that even his teeth were shattering a little, as he stared at Erwin crouching in front of him. 

Levi was glad the poisonous voice was gone and he was glad Erwin had locked the door, but he still didn't feel safe enough to let go.

Their scent glands connecting was the only thing that seemed to keep his heart beating right now, it was the only thread to reality, among his scrambled thoughts, the emotions raging in his chest and the nasty voice of Kenny in his mind, apart from the pain that ached through his body. He wanted to curl back up against Erwin's chest, who was handling him like the most precious cargo, he’d ever received.

Soft crooning filled the room, as Erwin released the most calming scent he could. Levi relaxed a bit, but was still too frantic to even relax one finger. 

It hurt the alpha to see his omega breaking down so hard. It was even worse than the scenario at Mike's place and Erwin's heart ached.

He would fucking end Nile Dawk for doing this.

"Erwin." Levi kept crying.

"I'm here. It's all going to be okay. I promise." He crooned, finally deciding on what to do. He picked Levi back up again koala style, thighs immediately tightening around the alpha's hips, to press closer. Levi let himself be carried, glad Erwin wasn't slapping him in the face, or pushing him away. He didn't know what would happen, if the alpha would have rejected him. Erwin coaxed him into swallowing one of the pills Hanji had prescribed, before heading to the bathtub in his ensuite. He filled it up with bubbles, something he would usually reserve for after care, turned up the heating and was glad he had put out the fluffy towels, before carefully undressing them both to slip into the water.

To Levi it all felt like a dream, the meds weren't working so fast, but he could feel all the effort and care Erwin put into his actions through their bond. His strong arms never leaving or dropping him. The alpha's heartbeat calmly echoing in his ears, offering home and safety. Erwin wouldn't allow the police to arrest him, would he?

"No police, please alpha, please!" Were the first coherent words out of his quivering lips, after they had been sitting in the bathtub for a few minutes.

“No police, Levi.” Erwin crooned into Levi’s ear in a soothing voice, enveloping the little frame from behind with his arms. 

His fingers ghosted over the pale skin, drawing patterns to calm him down. 

Why would he need to call the police on him? He briefly wondered, if Levi was truly afraid, that he would call the police, because he broke into his apartment. But after what had transpired it would make no sense and Levi already insinuated, that thievery was his way to make a living. So the person calling him, must have threatened him with ratting him out to the police and Erwin had the feeling that this must have been nothing but a bluff. It wouldn’t make any sense. The police wouldn’t care for petty thievery and Levi wouldn’t freak out like he did, if it were about something minor like that. 

Also Levi had proved that he was at least somewhat professional in this métier, maybe he had managed to pull something big, which involved a lot of money. Still it would make no sense to call the police, because whatever it was, it must have been much worthier, than whatever bounty the police had to offer. Of course Levi was in no state to think that clearly in his panic, with worst case scenarios running through his head. 

After all, it was a whole different threat for an omega than for an alpha. The alpha’s would serve time in prison - maybe - or buy themselves free. The omega’s wouldn’t even get a trial, rotting away in a prison solitary or being sent straight to their deaths. Erwin was aware of the additional pressure it must put onto his mate.

He wished he could call the police on Nile, but other than the guy being an obvious shitbag, he had no further evidence that would put him into prison at all. Not yet at least. Erwin was sure he would find a lot of stuff buried in the office about Nile, that should better not be known and if he couldn’t get that guy locked away, he could at least make him lose his job, which he deserved after all, being lazy and uncreative about it. 

Aside from this getting personal now, Erwin regretted deeply that he ever did Nile a favor by helping him get the job at the company, despite having a shitty degree from university.

A soft touch woke Erwin from his thoughts, completely blanked out, he had been staring forward with Levi in his arms, saying nothing, as his mind was busy. 

Levi had calmed down a bit, due to the medicine he had given him, his movements were a bit slow and sluggish and his eyes sleepy, as he started to drag the sponge across Erwin’s arms. 

Levi’s fingers felt heavy and numb, he could barely hold onto the sponge, despite wanting to clean his alpha off, who was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn’t make a move himself, to reach for anything to wash himself. He soon gave up, putting the sponge aside and leaning back on Erwin’s chest. 

The bathtub was rather big, the broad frame of the alpha could fit comfortably into it, which in turn meant that Levi’s small frame more than literally drowned inside of it, without the support of his mate’s body beneath him. 

Erwin intensified his hold on his mate, shifting his body in a way that Levi was supported safely and couldn’t slip away from his grasp. Not now and not ever. He would protect and support Levi, like he did now in every aspect he could. But for that, he needed answers and clear evidence. He wanted to ask Levi, in which way he was connected to Nile. Having seen the panic of his mate first hand now, he wondered if it truly could be a coward like Nile threatening his omega?

Levi had been scared, when Erwin had drifted off into his thoughts, but he hadn't harbored any ill intentions. The alpha returned his affections softly, fingers never harsh on his skin. His attention was back to Levi and Levi only, so whatever he must have been thinking about, was probably to Levi's benefit. 

The omega still felt horrible, but the shaking had subsided, thanks to the medication, leaving behind only small tremors in his hands, betraying the nerves still wreaking havoc on his body. The water was starting to cool, as Erwin washed him down and soaped up his hair, the touch never straying far. It felt nice to be this close to the alpha. He still couldn't understand how bonds worked, but he was sure that Erwin did. 

He was probably manipulating Levi right now, with his own emotions or something, but for once Levi was grateful, to not have to carry the burden all by himself. His abdomen still ached really fiercely, but the medication kept him from cramping up too much and prevented him from curling up too tightly, to make it bearable. It left his muscles lax like jello and pleasantly heavy, but in a comforting way.

Erwin pampered him to bits, drying his hair gently, as well as his body, before wrapping him up in the alpha's bathrobe. 

Levi didn't reject the scent marking, he instead found solace in Erwins scent. He allowed himself to be carried to the king size bed, treated to ginger tea and a plate of cookies, while Erwin fluffed up his pillows and blankets, retrieving the plushy from Levi's room, as softly requested by his mate. 

He took the chance to stick one of the mobile scent cancelers into a socket, to help clean Levi's room from his distressed scent. He was positive that Levi would want to eventually return to his solitude and being met with a wall of panicked pheromones, would ruin that. He picked up the laptop for Levi to have, before going back to cuddle up to his mate.

The omega was glad, when Erwin's broad frame came back into view and the alpha climbed under the covers next to him, offering him all the hugs and cuddles he might want. Levi didn't hesitate to smash his face back into the alpha's chest and tangle their legs together, plushy still clutched tightly to his own chest.

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Erwin dared to ask after a while.

"Crap." Levi murmured, hugging Erwin closer.

"Is there anything I can do? Something you want to talk about? You know you can tell me anything. I would move heaven and hell for you." Erwin whispered into the raven's hair.

Levi thought about it and a part of him wanted to tell Erwin everything, but there were still things he couldn't give up. 

"There's a delivery about 5 p.m. it's heavy. Can you put it in my room?" Levi asked hesitantly. 

"No problem at all. Can I ask what you ordered?" Erwin inquired.

"New bed for my room." Levi stuttered.

"Good choice. The old one was indeed a lot uncomfortable, Mike always complained, when he’d spent a night." Erwin approved, his smile was the most beautiful thing to Levi.

They settled to watch some anime on demand, even if neither paid much attention to it. The colors and movements were mesmerizing and calming.

"Would you hide me from the police?" Levi asked out of the blue, wincing slightly. Erwin had been aware that his mate was in pain, but put it down to stress. The question surprised him. 

"I will not let them get to you. I will keep you safe. Even ship you back to France to hide you, if I have to." Levi spurted some French at him in surprise, it sounded beautiful from his lips, even if Erwin didn't catch it all, his own language skills a lot rusty. It was most likely cursing.

"I did some bigger jobs. They are looking for me." Levi confessed, his hand entwining with Erwin's resting on his hip, squeezing tightly.

"I'm sure, they don't even know what you look like. You did a pretty good job snooping around my business, before I caught you red handed." his alpha reassured him.

"I was so sure, you wouldn't be back before nightfall." Levi revealed.

"Your scent was luring me back home. I dunno what it is, but it is calling to me, making me all sorts of stupid." Erwin murmured gently, as Levi winced again and shifted back around to face Erwin's chest, trying to get comfortable.

“You drive me insane.” He added fondly, one of his arms instinctively draped over Levi’s body, trying to keep him still for a moment, as he nudged closer to give him a soft kiss. His omega returned it briefly, before pulling away swiftly, his face contorting in pain. 

“Levi? Is everything alright?” 

Receiving a mumbled “yeah.” and feeling the omega turn on his chest again, wasn’t very convincing to Erwin at all. Levi must have felt the blue gaze, staring down on him worriedly. Today must have been exhausting for the omega, it had been a lot to take in for Erwin too, the emotional strain taking a tool even on him, he wouldn’t want to imagine, what turmoil must have overrun his mate. 

“Are you in pain?” Erwin urged further, only receiving a small nudge from Levi, as he fidgeted around again. 

“Just a cramp. It’s nothing. I’m just tired.” Levi added reluctantly, not wanting to bother Erwin with it.

After a while, Levi appeared to have found a suitable position, as he listened to Erwin starting to snore softly beneath him.

The alpha didn’t notice that his mate was forcing himself to lay still, despite the back pain and cramps in his belly, that were making it impossible to find a painless position and kept him from falling asleep anyway.

“Aaaaaargh, ah shit, what the fuck is this?!” 

Erwin almost jumped up from the bed, as he was woken by the cursed words. Not far from him, Levi was curled up on the bed, arms surrounding his midsection, as he convulsed in cramps, whimpering in pain. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he let out curses through grit teeth, his knuckles white, as he clawed at his own skin.

"Levi?” Erwin rushed over to his mate. “What’s going on? Where does it hurt?” Erwin was almost babbling, panic welling inside of him.

“Just a stomach ache, had that before.” Levi gritted out, trying to keep his composure again, not wanting to worry the alpha, but then an especially forceful cramp shot through him and he tumbled over, falling into Erwin's arms, who laid back again and cradled Levi gently against his chest. 

“Is there anything I can do for you? Water, medicine?” 

“Water.” Levi rasped out, as another cramp hit him and the moment Erwin wanted to get up, to comply with his omega’s wishes, he felt something wet on him, making his boxers feel sticky and itchy on his skin. 

It felt like his heart stopped, as realization hit him. The water bottle completely forgotten, Erwin slowly turned to look at his mate again, who he noticed – after his eyes finally have accumulated to the darkness – was deathly pale and breathing heavily. The wetness was not only on his boxers, but also seeping from the mattress beneath him. The second Erwin turned on the light on the nightstand and threw away the covers, the sickening metallic smell of blood overwhelmed him, making him dizzy. 

“No…” he whispered, staring at Levi’s belly, his lower half completely covered in blood, that must have seeped through onto Erwin’s boxers. Some of it had already dried, but fresh blood followed quickly, building a sea around them.

"Oh, Levi." Erwin's voice was a fleeting heartbroken note, sounding so incredibly sad in his agony, as the omega shivered against the alpha. Levi was pressing his eyes shut tightly, as the next cramp made him almost yell on top of his lungs, from the pain radiating from his lower abdomen, to his back and spreading out in all directions, as if it was trying to engulf his entire body, eating him alive. 

It hurt so much, that Levi's subconsciousness dared to compare it to torture. Because that's what it felt like. Instead of ebbing away and eventually passing entirely, as Levi had hoped it would, each wave seemed to be building up on the last one, making the experience almost surreal in its potency.

He had tried to not make a sound, not wanting to alert and wake his alpha, with something stupid, like possible a shit gotten stuck or some excessive winding. 

But when Erwin threw the duvets back, the fresh tang of blood made him almost throw up. This was scary and he didn't know what was going on, but his energy was already depleting, making it all the harder, to endure the evil twisting pain in his pelvis.

Whimpers Levi had tried to suppress, kept freely tumbling from his lips by now, mixing in with whines and his panting breath.

"Fucking hell!" Levi cursed in a broken voice, as he rolled up tighter, to brace for the pain. It felt like he was dying and he tried to reach out for Erwin's hand for support. He wanted the alpha to take away the pain.

"Erwin, please make it stop." He begged, crying silently, too afraid to open his eyes and look at the mess he was making. The smell of blood made him gag, he wished he could crawl out of his skin. It did barely register, apart from the wet feeling of fluid spreading between his thighs, but that in itself was enough to scare him shitless. it felt like a hot iron was pressing itself from the core of his body to the outside, right through his ass. A hot knife like, stabbing pain splitting him in half, even worse, then when Erwin had screwed him during heat, without proper prep.

"It will be ok, I promise." The alpha said, sounding teary himself. 

He had called Hanji right away in a panic, begging them to come over, as he tried his best to tie one of the towels around Levi's shaking frame, for some dignity and to keep the blood from staining the mattress even further. He wanted to call 911, since Levi seemed so out of it, he didn't even react much to Erwin talking into the phone, but he was sure Levi wouldn't like strangers manhandling him.

When Erwin hastened to open the door for Hanji and grabbed a bottle of water along the way, Levi's frantic babbling and whining swelled to a cacophony, plugging at his heart strings, commanding him back to help his hurt omega.

Hanji gladly didn't flinch, or commented on the mess, as they tried to assess the omega. Levi didn't make it easy on them, refusing to uncurl himself, afraid that if he did give into their coaxing, the pain would intensify tenfold. 

He was already on his wits end, drifting away on the edge of awaiting darkness. For once he welcomed it, wished for his lights to go out, so he wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.

Erwin explained their encounter today briefly to Hanji, filled them in on the meds he had given Levi, concerned that he might have done the wrong thing and caused that. Hanji was quick to shatter this bit of building doubt.

"If anything, it probably helped to prolong the unavoidable. I'm just glad to hear it wasn't you, scaring him out of his own mind. Stress can be a forceful enemy and given all the strain you both have been through previously, the risks were stacked high against your odds. But he's bleeding pretty much and steady at that, I would rather take him to the omega house facilities, instead of the general ER. They have all the necessary machinery and meds at hand. I can only give him painkillers for now and some pads, but this won't do much at this rate." They explained, snapping off their dirty gloves, before pulling on a fresh pair to inject Levi a heavy dose of pain relievers, to tide him over for a short while.

"Can I come with you?" Erwin asked, not wanting to leave his mate.

"They don't like it, but this is a special circumstance. I can vouch for you, if you swear to let them do their job and not threaten or bite anyones head off." Hanji said dryly, helping Erwin to stuff and knot towels around Levi's lower half, before wrapping the omega up in a blanket and carrying him down to the car.

"I will behave, I promise." Levi was still twitching and whimpering in Erwin's hold, but already too fucked up to protest much. Erwin held him curled up on his lap, in the backseat of the car, for the whole ride, crooning softly and wiping away the tears.

"Will he need to stay for long?" Erwin asked, as they approached their destination.

"Fingers crossed, you might go home right away tomorrow morning. Or tonight, but that would be a lot of wishful thinking." Hanji prognosed, as they parked and hurried through the entrance hall, with Erwin in tow. 

Levi had fallen silent halfway there, but after checking his pulse to affirm, he hadn't fucking died, they concluded he eventually must have passed out. Therefore it would be easier to treat him and keep the trauma at bay, that came with being in an omega house, against his will. Hanji remembered as much, that Levi didn't ever want to go to this place, for reasons unknown to them. 

Erwin felt guilty for putting him in this situation after all, but he just wanted for Levi to be healthy again.

Apart from the very strong desire to go kill the bastard, who caused all this and to rip him to shreds, he had himself in check, observing the nurses and doctors fluttering around the stretcher, he had placed Levi down on.

Erwin dreaded the confirmation of the news, he already knew to be true, as he called Nana and Mike, to beg for the other omega to stop by, hoping it would help ease Levi's nerves, when he woke back up, possibly feeling empty beyond belief and heartbroken, when he learned, that they had to literally scrap their pup out of him, since it didn't make it.

Hanji had told Erwin that two weeks from now, Levi was most likely to go into heat again, so his body could accommodate the change in hormones. The subtle threat of having himself in check by then was obvious.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To ease everybodys anxiousness, here is the next part.  
Please stay safe everybody. <3 Please practice social distancing, but don't forget your loved ones. Spread more love than usual (leave a note, send some emojis, a voicemail, facetime/skype etc), now that touching is restricted, to break the chain of infections. We can beat Covid-19 ass. Wash your hands, help your elders and take care. Don't give up hope, we can do this.

Erwin was relieved when Nanaba arrived, thankfully without Mike. Greeting him with a curt nod, she sat down on the chair next to Erwin, on the right side of the bed Levi laid in. 

No words were exchanged.

Erwin was hunched over, holding his head in his hands, his thoughts too heavy for him to fully comprehend. 

His pub had just died and they were talking about it, as if it was just an accumulation of cells, instead of his flesh and blood, being carved out of his mate's unconscious body. He felt sick to the stomach, not wanting to be in this place anymore. He couldn’t stay another minute, but he had to, fucking had to for Levi’s sake, because how would it look, when the alpha wasn’t there for his omega in his – their – time of need. 

It would look like he was blaming Levi for losing their child and see him as a failure of an omega now, not worthy of his time and support. So Erwin forced himself to wait, despite wanting to run away, as far as he could, to escape his own mind and howl in despair.

He needed to be there, when Levi woke up, reassuring him, that he still wanted him and treasured their bond. But how was he supposed to come across genuine, when he had put Levi in here? 

An omega house - a place Levi despised and hated so much for some reason.

The alpha felt almost suffocated by the beta’s and omega’s in this place, passing by the room, whispering in quiet voices, while staring at him with short glances, hatred in their eyes. They judged him, clearly thinking that, if the alpha would have treated him better, the omega wouldn’t be here to begin with. What was he even still doing here? 

He had failed his mate, he wasn’t good enough. He deserved this, for treating his mate like that! Fucking rapist! They should save the omega and he should rot in hell, burning like-

“Erwin?” Nanaba’s soft voice reached him, after multiple attempts of trying to gain the alpha's attention. Erwin had failed to notice that his fingers were clutching his hair, tearing at it in an almost violent manner, almost tearing the blond strands out all together. “This isn’t your fault! You did everything you could. And no one here is judging you!” She added with her gentle voice. “This is all in your head!”

“Thank you so much for coming here.” Erwin murmured brokenly, letting go of his hair and straightening his back. “I- I just don’t know-“

“It’s fine.” She interrupted him, looking at Levi, who’s eyes were fluttering slightly, as he finally seemed to regain consciousness. Erwin had lost track of how long he sat there, it didn’t matter. Levi was slowly waking up, his eyes darting through the room disorientated, before he seemed to remember, where he was and why. He let out a distressed sob, clutching the sheets and curling into himself, as he started to cry softly. 

Erwin leaned closer to his side, one hand rising to gently stroke the black hair, as he crooned down at his mate, mumbling sweet nothings, but it didn’t seem to matter, what he was doing, it only intensified Levi’s sobbing and shivering. 

“Alpha! I’m sorry, alpha! Don’t hate me! Told you I was no good! Told you, told you, told you! Why are you staying???” Erwin ignored the almost inaudible whimpers of his mate, as he leaned down, to pry off one of his omega’s clenched fingers from the hospital blanket, untangling every single one of them, one at a time and kissed each fingertip softly. 

“I am so glad you are alive. I was so afraid to lose you.” Erwin mumbled, looking deep into the gray eyes he loved so much, finding them brimming with tears. 

‘So afraid to lose you, too.’ - But he couldn’t say it out loud. He wasn’t ready to put what happened into words, it would make it more real. But it was real after all and they still needed to get out of here, the stink of death and his failure was already haunting him.

“Look who is here.” Erwin gestured over to Nanaba, still sitting on her chair, giving them a bit of privacy. “She will take good care of you. They will keep you here for at least a couple of hours. I will have to go now… I am not very welcomed at a place like this and I-“ 

‘I need to get away from here. Never from you, but from this place. I don’t want you to return to a blood filled home stinking of death’. - he failed to say, to spare Levi the heartache of the cold reality.

“Leave me alone, Erwin… I- I understand. I need to be alone, too.” Levi’s voice sounded so heartbroken, like he really wanted Erwin to go and really wanted him to stay away this time. 

“I’ll clean up our apartment so you-“ The alpha started to explain, as he felt like Levi thought he was denying him, curling up and hugging himself tighter. 

“Just leave, Erwin!” His precious omega muttered, turning himself away from his alpha. Erwin stood there, not wanting to leave like that and before he could stop himself, he had leaned down to Levi, giving him a gentle kiss on his exposed bonding mark. He heard himself whispering “I love you, Levi.”, as he stroked the ink black mop of hair one last time and left the room. 

  
  


When Erwin arrived at his apartment, he immediately started cleaning up the mess, not bothering to even wash the bedding, instead the alpha threw it away without thinking twice. 

It would hold too many memories, he wouldn’t be able to sleep on this mattress and bed linen ever again, without tasting blood and drowning in a sea of red. 

Erwin worked on auto-pilot. What started with cleaning up, ended with rearranging his furniture like a maniac, just to keep himself busy and when he was about to rearrange his couch for the tenth time, he decided to throw it out, too. It would remind him of what they had lost after all, he knew what he had to do.

-

Levi allowed Nana to sit on the bed to hold his hand. Her touch was gentle and soft, knowing the pain and emptiness Levi must be feeling right now first hand. He could see it in the way her eyes shimmered in the harsh overhead light.

She stayed quiet for the most part, not offering useless bits of condolences, since it wouldn't change a damn thing.

He had wished for the pup to die, he had resented it even existed, had wanted to throw himself down the stairs, but now that it was actually gone, he couldn't help but feel like a failure. The decay was sick in the air, still tangled with the metallic overlay of blood. 

They had put him in an almost diaper like garment, that was heavily padded to keep him from leaking all over the place. 

He felt gross all over, wanted to sit in a shower for hours and scrab his skin raw, just to feel a tad clean again. 

Erwin must be so disappointed in him, he couldn't comprehend why the alpha insisted on still loving him. 

The nurses kept checking in on him, tutting over him, adjusting his IV and he hated every single one of them, but he was too tired to put up a fight.

He was afraid to go to sleep, afraid he might die, just like his mom had and not wake up again. His lids kept dropping, but he forced them open every time, the light burning in his eyes. Nana was petting his hair and never leaving him alone with any of the staff, he was so grateful for that.

Hanji returned a few hours later to fill Levi in on the basics, sparing him the gruesome details, but providing him with what to expect in the next few days. They had given him an extra shot, to help his body to expel any excess tissue that might be left behind, leaving him bleeding for a few more days, but it should taper off within a week's time. They also went over the supplements medication, he had to take for a month, to help his body to produce more blood cells. He had lost a lot, but not enough to require a blood transfusion, those were messy things and avoided if could be. 

They told him what was safe to eat, to help him recover faster and how to endure the awaiting heat. It wouldn't be anything like his usual heat and he was reminded again to avoid intercourse with his alpha. 

It would take his ass some time to heal and he might be feeling like shitting bricks for a few weeks to come, but Levi just nodded.

"Can I please leave?" Levi dared to ask, the omega house was keeping him on edge. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Can you hold on for at least 2 more hours? I would like to keep you for another day, just to be safe, but I understand that you would rather be comfortable at home." Hanji amended.

"Please." Levi begged helplessly, tired. He couldn't even insult Hanji.

"I will talk to Erwin and you'll have to put up with me checking in on you for some days. But if anything turns south, I will have to admit you right back here and I won’t hesitate doing just that." Hanji explained thoroughly, making sure Levi would understand. He cringed, clinging a little tighter to Nana's hand.

"How about you take a nap and I wake you, when Erwin is here?" Hanji offered gently.

"No!" Levi almost shouted, his blood pressure and heartbeat rising, making the machines next to his bed beep furiously.

"I'm sorry. It's okay Levi. Nothing bad is going to happen. It's safe to sleep. Please calm down." The beta amended, knowing the stress would cause Levi additional pain. He needed rest.

Levi turned away from them, feeling betrayed, curling himself up tighter under the covers and gently tugging on Nanaba's hand.

The omega climbed into bed with him, holding him, as Levi hid away in her arms. It wasn't Erwin, but he was glad Nana was keeping him company.

Erwin's cleaning francy got interrupted by the delivery of Levi's new bed and some other nick nacks. For once he was glad about good timing, even if it was sarcastic given the circumstances. 

He had ordered a new bed for his own room, among other things, paid extra for same day delivery and they should arrive within the next hour to set stuff up and get rid of the old things in the process. Mike would take care of It, while Erwin returned to the alpha facility upon Hanji's request. 

They gave him the big talk, going over all the details and precautions for the next day. It took another hour, before he was allowed back into the room, where they kept Levi in, who despite all fight had fallen asleep in Nana's embrace. She kept drawing soothing patterns on the omega's back, noticing Erwin's grief stricken face right away.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, afraid to wake Levi yet again, but the omega murmured under his breath, obviously smelling his mate, even drugged up on all the good shit this place offered.

"Thank you for all your help."Erwin said earnestly, before petting Levi's hair and caressing his face to rouse him gently.

Levi’s eyes fluttered open at the soft touch on his face and he didn’t put up any fight, as Erwin cradled him in his arms, to carry him out of the omega house. Erwin could feel the small fingers clutching onto the shoulders of his coat, the omega light like a feather in his arms, little legs slung tightly around his waist, as Levi clung onto him like a koala bear. Nanaba followed suit to catch up with Mike, who was managing the deliveries at Erwin’s place. 

Erwin noticed Levi flinching at the sight of Mike, when they arrived in his apartment. Mike currently had been occupied with opening the enormous boxes for the new king sized bed and was just about to be finished, with putting everything together with precise movements, using his practical skills to his best. 

Levi’s bed had already been set up and Erwin laid the omega onto it, giving him a short peck on the forehead. 

“I will help Mike finish up, Nana will stay with you for a bit more.” He explained, before leaving the room. If he wanted everything to go as planned, they needed to hurry up. Fortunately, he was almost finished with his little surprise for Levi, as Nanaba called for him and Mike only had to handle the stuff for Erwin himself, thus not penetrating the scent of Erwin’s special room..

There were still a few blankets here and there and little knick knacks to put into Levi’s new safe space, their safe space to build up the trust between them. 

“What is this?” 

Just as Erwin placed an especially fluffy throw over an armchair, Mike peeked into the room, before opening the door and stepping in completely, despite Erwin’s warning growl. The other alpha knew the room and was kind of surprised at the choice, since this was – had been – Erwin’s playroom, which had been redesigned to a nest for Levi, full of comfortable places to sit or lay on, countless blankets and pillows. Mike looked around the room, not needing an answer to his rhetorical question, it was very obvious that despite everything Erwin’s nesting instinct had gone through the roof, maybe as some sort of coping mechanism to handle the loss the alpha clearly felt.

“There was no other room left aside from the library. But could we move this conversation to the bedroom?” Erwin answered with a pointed look, while fluffing up the probably twentieth pillow this day.

“So you took your beloved playroom?” Mike chuckled, observing the change, before stepping back out, waiting for Erwin to follow him. “It looks good, seriously. You have clearly put a lot of effort into it.”

“Thanks.”

“It is almost perfect. Aside from the dildo and rope collection on the other wall, it could really convince me to be as innocent, as it looks.” Mike gestured to the side he had spotted it. Erwin was unspeakable grateful, that Mike had pointed out his little faux-pas, not to think what might have happened, if he presented the surprise to Levi proudly and there would have been sex toys in plain sight. With his luck, it would have been the first thing that Levi saw and he might end up feeling threatened by the alpha, thinking Erwin wanted to use him immediately during his next heat, to stuff him full of yet another pub again. This would be the polar opposite of what he intended to do and show his mate. A safe place for them both to grow together as a bonded pair, a refuge for Levi, if he ever felt this much fear again and Mike saw his intentions, as he appreciated the room. Erwin quickly hid away the offending toys Levi didn’t need to see – yet. 

An unspoken truce between the two alpha’s hung in the air, the silent apology not needed to be voiced, since both alpha’s had their reasons. Mike had meant well and learned to expect the worst from alpha’s, due to his line of work for the omega movement and Erwin was overwhelmed with the new sensations the mating bond made him feel. 

After saying their goodbyes Mike and Nanaba left, not wanting to spoil Erwin’s surprise with their presence, since it might be a very private moment for the pair. 

When Erwin entered Levi’s room with a warm cup of tea in his hands, for Levi to enjoy, he hid his nervousness well, despite his excitement at showing him the new nest. 

“Levi?” Sitting down beside his omega on the bed and handing him the tea, letting him sip on it leisurely, as he smiled down at him. “I would like to show you something.” the alpha finally proposed.

Levi had listened to Erwin and Mike moving around the apartment for the most part, since he was back. He had wondered in his sleepy haze, what they were doing, but he was also sluggish and didn't want to move around much. The painkillers were still working and his room was nice and clean, the bed thankfully very comfortable. Nana kept him company, offering a soft touch every now and again, but respected, that he didn't feel like talking.

When the bonded pair had left, Erwin had gently knocked and now he was offering a surprise. 

Levi was indeed curious, but also anxious, that should he try to stand up, his legs would give out right under him and he would come to face another bloody patch on the mattress again, reminding him of his failure. The tea did little to calm his nerves and Erwin was still waiting for him to answer, as he finally got his bearings and gave a tentative nod, motioning for Erwin to pick him up again, as he closed his eyes to avoid looking at the bedsheets. 

The alpha complied right away, his strong arms securing Levi bridal style to his chest, choosing to take the blanket with them, to keep Levi covered and warm. The apartment wasn't cold or even freezing, but he had sensed his omega’s discomfort and chose to give him the blanket, as a form of protection. His eyes stray to the covers absentmindedly checking for blood spotting, but thankfully finding none.

"It's nothing bad, I promise and if you don't like it, we can switch it up." He offered gently, waiting for Levi to open his eyes again, as he carried him out of the room. The omega did, but only upon the door closing behind them. He got more nervous, as they approached the alpha's bedroom, waiting for Erwin to discard him on the bed and claim his fill, maybe punish him for fucking it up, but he didn't stop. 

Erwin carried him over to the freshly painted white wooden shelf, already filled back up with books. He picked one from the second shelf, third from the left, a well worn red leather bound and tucked at it, as if to pull it off, but it didn't butch, only slid forward a few inches, followed by the shelf moving forward, revealing a secret hidden doorway. 

Levi's eyes almost popped out of his head. He had no idea, there was a secret room, it wasn't in any of the blue prints he had studied, prior to his scouting. His heart was racing inside his chest like a frightened baby bunny, as Erwin swung back the shelf with one hand, entering the room.

There were blankets and pillows in all colors, soft throws, some really comfortable looking white fur in front of a big four poster bed, complete with separate blinds, more pillows and plushies, as well as a small table and another set of armchairs, surrounding it. Drapes of fabric covered two big chests of drawers that were pushed to the back wall. It was like a small cave of comfort, bright and sunny, but also warm and fuzzy. Levi's eyes kept tracking the room, trying to take everything in, the electric LED candles, the mini fridge on top of one of the dressers, a small bookshelf, filled with novels and children’s books. 

There were some out of place hinges in the walls and ceilings, some o-rings too, but he didn't pay them any mind, as his gaze kept sweeping the room. It lacked any TV or gaming station, obviously prepared to serve little distraction and concentrated more on being a safe space, then a hang out. The colors were all soft pastels, but not too bright on the eyes.

"Almost nobody knows about this room. I want you to come here, shall you ever need to hide from anything, or anyone. If your room ever feels like not enough. If you feel like you need to hide away, or want to disappear. If you get overwhelmed with something or so upset, that you don't know what to do. I want you to come here and be safe." He sat Levi down on the bed covers, showing him the lightswitch, that also worked as a bell he could ring, should he need Erwin to come inside, when he was occupying the space alone. 

There was a small sink hidden in the corner of the room, but for anything bigger, he would need to use Erwin's ensuite. The alpha reassured him, that he would lock the bedroom door, if Levi so wished, whenever they were in here. He would literally do anything, if it would help his omega to feel more secure. Levi was still speechless, touching the soft bedding under his fingertips, eyes roaming, until they settled on a huge picture frame above the chest of drawers.

THE MAP!

It was right there, hung up on the wall in a preserved frame, covered by thick glass to keep it away from dust and water.

The thing he had been searching for so desperately, stared him right in the face, in all its glory. 

Levi's mouth ran dry. 

It was fucking beautiful and his eyes teared up, as he threw himself into Erwin's chest full on sobbing.

For a moment Erwin was startled, as he suddenly felt Levi throw his thin arms around him in response, hugging him tighter. When he leaned down to give his mate one of the forehead kisses he usually gave to show his love, he was surprised to meet soft lips instead, as Levi craned his head upwards to give him a proper kiss. It didn’t last long, but the feeling of Levi melting into his bigger frame, was enough to make his bonding mark tingle pleasantly. 

The alpha felt very proud at pleasing his omega this much, especially since Levi always criticized his interior design choices, judging it to be too old fashioned. For this place he had chosen everything, that reminded him of Levi, trying to understand what the omega would like and just grabbed whatever felt right and he somehow associated with Levi, like the black Neko plushie on the four poster bed. 

“So I take it, you like the surprise?” Erwin inquired a bit smug, as he was indeed very proud of himself to make his omega react like this. “Are you happy with it? Should I change anything?”

Levi nodded frantically. 

“No no, it is perfect.” He was quick to reassure his alpha. 

The gray eyes were still caught up with the big framed map on the wall, by which he seemed to be impressed the most. 

Then of course he should be, given his history, he probably knew how much it was worth and Erwin wondered, if this was the reason, why Levi had broken into his apartment in the first place, as he saw the flicker of victory shining like silver in these gray eyes.

“This is a so-called Portolan planisphere, a navigational chart of the known world, made by the cartographer Vesconte Maggiola in 1513.” Erwin explained and gestured to a specific spot on the map. “This is the first depiction of the eastern seaboard, today known by New York harbor, making this the oldest map of New York. But you probably already knew that.” 

He felt Levi flinch in his arms at the last remark, which totally gave him away. Erwin ignored the bitter taste in his mouth. 

Now with their pub gone, he was afraid that Levi would take the opportunity to take the priceless possession and vanish, the moment he turned around. Apparently unfaltered, he continued, his blue eyes fixating on the map, that hopefully would not serve as a reminder of a further loss. 

“Years ago I purchased it as a gift for my father, who was a history teacher, but he died, before I could give it to him.” 

He paused a moment, unsure if he should even tell his mate this, if Levi really cared about something that personal to him? But Erwin made the decision that he would trust his mate, bearing his heart on his sleeve, if only for a moment, hoping that seeing his genuine feelings, Levi would offer up his heart, too. 

The only other person, who knew about this and the personal meaning behind it, was Mike, who had been with him, as he travelled across the whole country searching for this map, finally finding it, at a frivolous auction. 

“This is one of the last things that remind me of my father.” 

And the fact that he probably accidentally killed him, with asking too many questions and talking way too much as a child, not meaning any harm, neither knowing any better. If it weren’t for the consequences, he would have chuckled at his naiveté as a kid. 

After all, his father had been a little bit too smart for his own good. A trait that Erwin had inherited.

“So you understand, that this piece holds a lot of personal value. I trust you not to damage it and handle it with the utmost care, like everything in this room. After all, what is mine, is also yours.” 

He didn’t need to voice that there was no need in stealing it anymore, since it was something that was already his as well, that he would never have to worry about money ever again, as long as Erwin lived and had a say in it. Although, he wouldn’t dare to patronize Levi out loud. Erwin bit down the possessive instincts, which urged him to nag at his omega, who probably already felt caught red handed, for remembering his true intentions, before they pair bonded. 

Those were quickly forgotten, as he felt wetness seep through the towels bundled around Levi’s hips, another surge of blood making its way through the thick fabric. Erwin quickly got up and moved them to the bathroom, to rinse Levi clean and change the towels, to ease the disgust at his pitiful state. 

He could feel Levi’s internal struggle through their bond, his omega was plagued by self-accusations and guilt. Questions twisting his mind. ‘Why do you do this for me? How can you even look at me?’

Levi was overwhelmed by Erwin's gratitude, he couldn't wrap his mind around why the alpha chose him of all people, but he knew that no matter how much he despised himself, the connection through their bond was clearly there and strong at that. A surging current binding them together. Erwin was going out of his way to adapt him into his life, even if Levi hadn't paid him back anything ever since he invaded the alpha’s privacy. He didn't even carry his pup and yet Erwin still treated him like a prince. 

How did he deserve an alpha like that?

They got chinese take out and some sushi for dinner at Levi's timid request, Erwin was quickly to indulge him, before retreating back to the safe cave. Erwin had prepared some tea and a thermos full of hot chocolate, laid out towels and an old linen to protect the bed, after Levi had been padded back up again. It certainly made him look like he was back in diapers again, which was odd and certainly sent the alpha's brain places, he rather didn't wish to explore further. Levi felt embarrassed enough about it, as it was.

But he was quick to pet the bed and beg Erwin to cuddle up with him. He wanted cuddles and he needed them, even if he felt like he didn't deserve any, for fucking it all up. Erwin obliged immediately, even talking his omega into taking some of the painkillers, they got from the clinic, to make him more comfortable.

Levi hadn't dared to ask about them, but was glad Erwin could read him this easily for once. He enjoyed the embrace and soft caresses Erwin showered him with, cuddled the neko plushie, which was down right fascinating to him. He was poking it's fuzzy head, when a surge of bravery gave him strength, to open up more to his alpha. 

After all Erwin had shared a huge private part of himself with him earlier. His voice was a soft whisper, not having talked about any of the stuff for ages, if at all to begin with. 

He told him about his mom dying in that omega house, told him snippets about living with his uncle Kenny. About how he learned to fight, to work a knife, mug people and all the small stuff. About the disappointment and harassment, when he had presented as an omega. He didn't go into detail about the drunken antics, the beatings and countless humiliations that led him into Farlan's arms. 

He hoped Erwin had picked up as much, as Levi had chosen to bite him back, when they bonded. His voice broke in places and he sounded absolutely fucking wrecked, by the time he had gathered enough guts to tell him about Nile.

Erwin listened closely, never leaving his omega’s side or interrupting. He let Levi talk as much as he felt safe to share. Tidbits here and there, but very important nevertheless. 

Levi wasn't sure how long it took him to recount the story, but by the time he was coming to an end, the tea was empty and he was leaning against Erwin's chest with some cacao in hand. 

"I only wanted enough to get away. I wanted to go to Hawaii or some shit, walk along the beach, feel the ocean licking at my feet, maybe even stop stealing. It was more survival, then thrill in the end. Farlan always said, he would let me go, no questions asked." He said softly, turning his head into the alpha's strong chest.

The way Levi had looked at him, at that fateful encounter on the stairs. The way he had been running away from Nile, as if he had been chased by the devil himself, it should have told him everything, instead of just raising his suspicion further. 

He should have known, not only suspected, that there was something terribly wrong with Nile, that he wasn’t just a scary asshole, but the demon that haunted Levi’s nightmares.

Back then he had only been thinking of punching him in the face, or getting him fired, now he regretted not murdering him right on the spot, shoving him down the stairs, or better just tear his fucking head of with his bare hands, after all the bastard killed his child. 

Nile had probably noticed the ruckus at night, while he rushed Levi to the omega house and toasted on it, as the other alpha’s life was shattered into pieces. 

Erwin felt pure disgust, just thinking about the fact that he had once called that monster his friend, that he had still turned a blind eye from time to time, despite the plain incompetence and laziness Nile broadcasted at work. 

But now it all made sense. The stress and exhaustion on his face, despite being the one, who worked the least - Well at least in the office. 

Apparently he always had other ambitions, since he had been probably smart enough to pull all this shit, but couldn’t hold a candle to Erwin’s or Mike’s skills, when it came to their job - on the other hand you only needed one brain cell to recognize that as a fact. 

Nile could be glad that he was on a business trip today, although Erwin wondered if that had been true, or if it was just a sorry excuse for his other priorities in life. Be it crime or fucking around with poor omega’s, lying to them and promising them a better future. Otherwise, Erwin might have stormed down, stamped down the door and fucking killed him, right in front of his wife, who might have dropped to her knees, not to beg for her dear husband’s life, but in gratitude for finally being rid of him, since there was no legal way to annihilate a mating bond.

“He will never hurt you again.” Erwin promised to Levi, pulling him closer and cradling him against his body. “No one ever will hurt you. Not as long as I live.” 

He could feel Levi lean into him, feel the small head cradled against his neck, brushing against his own bonding mark and nuzzling it gently, the soft breath tickling over his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

“We should go on vacation.” Erwin started. “Go to Hawaii like you always dreamed of. Walk along the beach, our feet caressed by the waves, as our eyes gaze across the endless blue of the ocean…” A chuckle escaped his throat. “Hell, we should even collect sea shells and make one of those cheesy wall decorations with it.” 

“This is such an old man thing of you to suggest.” Levi mumbled, hiding a smile in the crook of his alpha’s neck.

“But wouldn’t it be nice to do this for each of our vacations, as a reminder of the nice days already passed and the ones still to come? We could-“ Erwin stopped himself, as he noticed he was getting caught up into wishful thinking. 

‘We could show it to our kids and tell them all the beautiful and embarrassing tales that happened during the vacation.’ But there were no kids. 

Not anymore and Erwin was unsure, if there would ever be some, or one at all. 

Levi didn’t seem to be the motherly type, like most of the other omega’s and he never actually told him the news, despite already knowing it, leaving his mate to figure it out all by himself. He wasn’t even sure, if Levi mourned the pub, or if he just saw himself as a failure for losing it. He didn’t want to know, it wouldn’t change anything, regarding the circumstances. He couldn’t blame him. Levi wasn’t the one to blame.

“We could make a list of every place you want to see and then travel across the world together, if you like.” Erwin finished with instead and just the idea of it sounded wonderful to him. But first a trip to Hawaii, just as Levi imagined. A reward of sorts, after he made Nile’s life a living hell, since death would be too good for him, Erwin decided. He would not risk his own freedom and go to jail for killing another alpha. This was something Nile would do, but Erwin was far above that. Nile would pay for all the things he had done to Levi. One way or another.

Erwin couldn’t be one minute apart from Levi. 

Levi didn't even realize he had fallen asleep in the cradle of Erwin's arms. The alpha prying the cacao from his fingers, setting the cup on the small table, before going back to observe the evening out of the up and down of the omega's chest, falling asleep as well.


	15. Chapter 15

Levi woke up in the middle of the night, as the painkillers had worn off, to a tearing cramp that sent him rushing to the ensuite with clenched thighs, afraid he would drip and spill blood all over the floor. Thankfully he was right on time, washing himself and padding himself back up anew, with his ass still firmly on the toilet seat.

"That's probably what women feel like every month." He muttered under his breath, remaining in the bath for at least 20 more minutes, until the cramping had seized its vicious hold of his inner organs and even then he missed Erwin.

The urge to be with his alpha was all encompassing, a pull, a surge he couldn't resist. He needed to feel skin on skin, knowing Erwin was still there. He gulped down a glass of water, brushed his teeth to get rid of the disgusting taste in his mouth from falling asleep without his proper night routine, before rushing back into bed with the alpha.

Erwin made a small grunt, when Levi pushed his ice cold feet back between his warm shins and wiggled up into the loose embrace, settling with his head across the alpha’s chest and falling promptly back asleep. The next days were even worse. He couldn't stand to be apart from him, even following Erwin around, wherever he went. 

He even went as far as waiting outside the bathroom, while Erwin went about his business, or finding literally any excuse known to mankind, to use the room, while Erwin was taking a shower, leaving the alpha no room for privacy. 

When Hanji visited to check in on him, he even hissed at them, territorial to Erwin's soley attention. The examination was torture and he cried into Erwin's chest, little fingers digging into the mighty biceps, leaving small red moons behind, while Hanji touched him. They apologized, barely getting enough minutes with Erwin all by himself to fill him in on his omega’s process. They had been concerned about the lack of nesting urges, but then again Levi's lineage and medical history was unknown to them too. But they had advised Erwin to pay close attention to his omega for any signs that would show Levi suppressing his needs and reminding him to keep it in his pants.

Erwin has been worrying about the same thing, but the only thing he had noticed was Levi's restlessness and urge to be wherever his alpha did breathe. Their bodies were touching one way or another for almost the entirety of 24 hours. 

He was glad he could at least take a shit by himself, even if that wasn't very calming, since it also was the only time he could text with work. He never wanted to be on the phone with Mike ever again, while trying to take a dump without making weird noises to clue the alpha on the other end of the line in, on what he was actually up to.

As Erwin hung up on Mike, grateful to finally flush the toilet, he knew that he couldn’t continue working like this, if he ever wanted to make Nile’s life a living hell. You can’t churn the rumor mill from afar, you needed to be close to put a bit of salt into it, although he wouldn’t even have to lie about it, probably not even exaggerate. He just needed to point out the obvious, but he needed to show his face for that. 

Aside from that, he was still working from home office, despite getting nothing done at all the entire day, which continued to frustrate him after a while. At first the way Levi clung to him was kind of cute and stroked his alpha’s ego. He saw it as a sign for the impending heat, he had been warned about, but it never came. The only thing nesting inside his mate was his extreme clinginess. Whenever he just wanted to open his laptop to work over a file, Levi would pry it shut or nudge it aside, apparently not liking to share Erwin’s attention, not even with an electronic device. His omega started to remind him of those kittens laying across a laptop keyboard, that would start to hiss at you and jump up, if you want to shove them away, kicking your full mug of coffee over the laptop. 

This behaviour continued for days and Erwin started to get worried, if this might be permanent. Of course he wanted Levi to want his company, wanted to be close to him and spend time with him, but this was… too much and the alpha hated feeling overwhelmed by his own mate. On the other side he could not neglect Levi’s need for closeness, especially since what had happened. He should be grateful, that Levi even laid a finger on him, but he really couldn’t stand it anymore and he’d started getting frustrated.

As he heard his phone ring and Levi automatically reached for the red button, not wanting Erwin to take the call.

Seeing that it wasn’t Mike or anyone else, he could simply call back, but Pixis, his boss, who was basically impossible to reach and preferred to communicate via email, he grabbed his phone and leaned his upper body as far away from Levi as bodily possible. 

When Pixis called on the phone, it must have been something urgent. 

“You haven’t been sending in your work on time, Erwin.” Pixis said, his usually fond tone, when talking to Erwin, sounded a bit displeased, but also concerned. 

“My apologies, I will finish up the statistics asap.” Erwin responded, as he felt the reason for his delay creeping up his body, trying to pry the phone away, climbing all over the blond, just to reach it, because of their size difference. 

“No need anymore. Nile kindly took over some of your work.” 

Levi was so close now, that he could also hear what they were talking about. He must have noticed that the call was important and paused his ministrations, ears peeking up at the mention of Nile’s name. Bile rouse in Erwin’s mouth, as he heard Pixis say that fucking Nile was on his way to slowly replace Erwin, by subtly taking over more and more of his work load, playing the nice colleague. He could almost hear Nile croon and swoon to make himself more popular, as he was flaunting the fact, that he was helping out Erwin Smith, who found his mate recently and he just wanted them to have more family time - all the dumb shit the office ladies would go crazy about. Which in turn would have Nile growing like a pest in their regards. He shouldn’t have threatened Nile out loud before, now the bastard could prepare to save his sorry ass and try to put himself into good graces with everyone around and he obviously already had managed so with Pixis. Or so Erwin thought for a second.

“But he – excuse my language - completely fucked up. He is apparently not qualified enough to use a calculator properly and embarrassed us in front of our biggest competition.” Pixis continued and it must have been terrible, when the other man chose to use such foul language. 

“In front of Marley Industries! They must think we are a joke now!” 

This was even worse and could grow into a fatal strike for their own business, since Marley Industries intended to buy them for years, their CEO Zeke being a very persistent risk embracing maniac, but also a despicably talented deal maker, who merely saw their denial as a challenge to make the fusion process more fun. Despite the impending catastrophe, Erwin couldn’t help but feel delighted that he wouldn’t have to do much to ruin Nile’s life, since the bastard managed to do this all by himself. Throwing away an opportunity like that, with something pathetic like wrong calculations, he ruined a once in a lifetime chance for himself and now knowing the real Nile, he would probably blame Erwin for his own failures and take it all out on his poor wife. 

“We have another meeting with Marley Industries next month and we really can’t afford to embarrass ourselves like that again. It would look bad, if I would do most of the presentations myself and Mike Zacharias refuses, since he has already been torn apart by Zeke, in the meeting before the last.” Pixis started to sound almost pleading and it almost scared Erwin, how serious the situation must be, it almost sounded like Pixis was truly afraid to lose to Marley Industries and having to obey to Zeke’s command. “I know you are freshly bonded and still have the home office permit and god forbid I don’t want to take it away from you, but can you please, please come back to the office for another few meetings, so we can prepare for the next big meeting with Marley Industries next month? I don’t know who else could save us.”

Despite hearing his bosses desperation, Erwin’s eyes first wandered over to Levi, who was currently lounging on his alpha’s back, peeking over the broad shoulders, to meet his alpha’s eyes waiting for his decision. 

“Don’t worry, I have your back.” Erwin responded and almost regretted carving in this quickly, since Pixis sounded way too happy, as he asked him, “if it would be possible to directly come over to work, to discuss the latest failures of the last meeting, so they could manage, whatever damage Nile had caused straight away.” - After all, they had no time to lose. 

“I should have asked, for how long they would need me to stop by. He always makes it sound like just a little bit of extra work and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by a never ending wall of paperwork and outside of it, is a hungry hoard of brainless bureaucrats feeding on your poor nerves.” Erwin mumbled, as he tried to get up, it wasn’t as easily said as done, since Levi put his whole not so impressive weight on top of him and clung to him fiercely. 

“Don’t leave.” He begged. “You can do that via skype or some shit.” 

“No, Levi, I really can’t. This is important, you don’t know that Zeke guy, he is really dangerous for our company.” Erwin explained, ignoring the louder getting whines of his mate, who tugged at his collar and crawled back to him, the moment Erwin shoved him away gently, to change into his office attire. He chose the dark blue suit, which fit him perfectly, to make the best impression from the start. He needed everyone to know, that he was back and that Nile could eat his dust.

“Besides, don't you want me to ruin Nile’s life, as I promised you I would? I can do this best and far much more efficient, while being present in the office. When all this is said and done, we will be on our way to Hawaii in no time, walking on the beach, dipping into the ocean. Don’t you want that?” Erwin gently pried Levi’s fingers away from his clothing one by one, kissing the tips softly and looking deep into the gunmetal eyes of his mate, wanting him to understand that he was doing this, not only for his own pride, but also for Levi and for them as a couple. This wasn’t just a matter of work, this was personal and in all honesty, he couldn’t wait to see Nile’s stupid mug, when he saw him enter the office. Nile sure wouldn’t be expecting that. 

Levi sighed longingly as he finally let go of him and allowed Erwin to mind his own business, polishing himself up quickly and heading for work again. The alpha had to brush off Levi’s desperate plea, if he might just accompany him to work, instead he promised to be back in just a few hours time.

When the door shut behind  Erwin, Levi wanted to be mad at the alpha for leaving him, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel resentment. If anything, it served as a sore reminder of the sadness, he had tried to ignore for too long already. With the apartment quiet around him and no noise to distract him, like Erwin's calming heartbeat for example, he had to face his own thoughts echoing out loudly, begging to be acknowledged. 

It made the omega too aware of the restlessness nipping at his bones, urging him to do something, anything. Staring up at the canopy of the bed didn't help Levi to concentrate, his thoughts chasing each other around, going this way and that, without following a red string to cling to. He sighed annoyed with himself, as he kicked off the covers and got up, to go fetch himself a glass of water from the kitchen, hoping it would help him focus.

He realised that for the first time, since he lost the pup, he was all by himself. There was no Nanaba to distract him, no nurses bustling around him to check in every other minute, no Hanji asking annoying questions or feeling him up places, he rather not be touched by anyone but Erwin. There was no Mike grunting commentary and sniffing everything within a mile radius and there certainly wasn't his mate, who he had disappointed so deeply, to fuss over him.

It truly seemed like Erwin was hurting, just as much as he was, maybe even blaming himself, so he decided to make up for it, by giving in to every whim Levi even so much as breathed. They hadn't talked about the miscarriage at all.

They had talked about everything else, about Nile the piece of shit, about the omega housing, but not about the pup. It was like a taboo subject. Levi was afraid, if any of them would bring it up, he might shatter to pieces.

It was easy to distract himself with daydreams, or his alpha's presence. He craved touch, even if it might not be to the extent he portrayed at the moment. But with Erwin being there 24/7, it made the burden he was carrying, feeling a little easier. 

Levi turned the water glass between his fingers, where he held it already emptied out, before putting it back in the sink. 

He was avoiding his feelings, because he didn't know what to do with them. Was it okay to be sad? To cry and mourn the loss? If he himself had tried to end the pups life not even a few hours, before it actually happened. Wasn’t he a hypocrite?

Ever since Erwin stepped into his life and mated him, he made him feel things, he never felt before. Made him crave things, he never craved before. Made him want something, something he was never really allowed to indulge in. He always had to make do with what was at hand, there wasn't much choice or option to begin with. There was no room for dreams and wants and desires.

But now, he suddenly found himself on the opposite end of the spectrum with so many choices and options, that it was overwhelming. He didn't know what was moderate or appropriate. What was wrong or right and how to navigate all those new experiences.

Levi picked up the cleaning supplies, from under the sink and got to work. He knew he had to take it easy, but cleaning had always helped him sort his shit out and would hopefully prevent him from doing anything reckless, while his mate was gone.

With Erwin out of the house, he not only started to feel the loss, but actually felt lost. 

Erwin was his guidance.

Erwin always knew what the right action would be. 

Levi cleaned his own room from top to bottom first, scrubbing the floor in the hallway next, felt good, since his wandering thoughts quieten down from the repeating motions.

He realized that there were a lot of conflicting things going on inside of him. He wanted guidance, but he also wanted free reign. He wanted to break out, but he also wanted to remain protected. All mingled up with a big helping of desperation and guilt. 

The omega was such a fuck up.

He moved on to the living room and kitchen, cleaning until the hot water hurt his hands and the chemical fumes were making him dizzy, but he couldn't stop. There was something he still needed to work out. A final conclusion, that was evading him so far, but felt important to obtain.

No doubt that Erwin would be capable of taking out Nile. He also realized that for Erwin to maintain their high standard of living, he had to earn his keep by going to work. He couldn't chain him down at home, no matter how much he wanted to do just that. Even if it wasn’t necessary, he didn’t mean to freeload on Erwin, so finding a small job, off to the side for himself, would possibly benefit them both.

But even with Erwin at work, the alpha was still his mate. He was his and no one else's. Being scared to lose him to anyone, suddenly felt like a childish thought, a 4 year old would have. 

Erwin would come back home and they would eat dinner and cuddle on the couch, or do whatever the fuck Levi wanted them to do, because Erwin wanted to make him happy and he said it again and again, that he only wished for Levi to be content and happy. 

He hadn't made any demands, since he had left Mike's guest room. It felt like Erwin had turned, he was still Erwin, but different. 

Levi couldn't put his finger on what exactly changed. Couldn't even say, if he judged the alpha for adapting. Couldn't even say, if he liked it or not. Erwin was all gentle and soft spoken words, treating him like a raw eeg. He was not this pushy or bossy, as he used to be, and Levi kind of missed this side of him. The noisy stupid alpha, that would just go for it and be a bit reckless.

Levi stopped wiping down the appliances and rearranging the tea collection in the cupboard for a second to breathe.

All this thinking and cleaning had made him a little breathless, maybe he needed to indeed take a break from things.

His thoughts and realisations were chasing each other around inside his head in such a manic pace, that it almost gave him a headache.

The omega made himself a cup of tea, retreating back to the safe cave, cuddling up in the blankets, that still smelled so much like Erwin. There had to be something he could do to help the alpha. It felt wrong to just dump his shit all over Erwin's pristine life and expect the alpha to take charge and fix it all up for him. Levi mulled around ways to help, but he had been fighting Nile for so long, he ended up pulling a blank. He was too scared to make another move on the alpha, who had successfully evaded any scheme Levi had ever set up to fuck him up.

It was simply out of his reach, maybe Erwin would indeed be better to handle the Nile situation. But he couldn't just stand by and observe, how his alpha defended his honor like in old times or some shit.

Levi swished the tea around his cup, eyes wandering over to the precious map, first glaring, before softening, as he let his thoughts run wild. It suddenly struck him like a bolt of lightning - what he actually had to do. He set the tea cup aside, scrambled off the bed, feeling a wet pop kind of feeling on his backside, which made him roll his eyes and scurry over to the ensuite to take care of the bleeding and padding. 

It had slowed down already, but was still a nuisance to deal with, before he went to his room to pick up his phone. There wasn't much money left on the burner phone, but he wouldn't get through, by using Erwin's landline, so he had to suck it up and keep it short.

Farlan picked up after 2 rings, all calm and collected, professional boring voice. 

Levi would recognize that voice anywhere, considering how long he had been working for him.

"Levi. To what do I owe the pleasure? Haven't heard from you in a long while." The blond bulldog drawled lazily.

"Fuck, I know right." Levi huffed, scratching his mark absentmindedly. "So do you have a minute? I don't wanna interrupt important shit or something." He asked hesitantly.

"Sure do, I'll always make room for you, you know that. So go ahead, what is it? You need another job?"

"Nah, not that. I'm kind of busy." Levi mumbled, feeling unsure how much was appropriate to share with the beta. 

"That's alright. You no longer doing that, would be fine too, don't forget that." Farlan replied, smacking his lips, indicating, he was most likely smoking right now.

"You wouldn't mind?" Levi dared to ask.

"No I won't. You've worked hard and done so much for me and my clients, that paid up enough. I remember you once said, something about getting too old for the job. So I figured you don't want to wait, until you get all sloppy and end up in jail or worse." The beta drawled.

"I kind of... I kind of settled down, but my time is limited, because the burner is almost empty. As much as I love to shoot the shit with you, that's not why I called." The omega confessed, nervously.

"Oh, nevermind. I'm sorry. Let me call you back." The line clicked shut, before the phone started vibrating in the palm of his hand again. Levi answered straight away, even if there was no one around to sneak up on him. 

"So, what do you need help with?" Farlan got right to the chase. Levi knew he couldn't ask him for help with Nile and quite frankly Farlan didn't owe him shit, but he might as well try to help Erwin a bit.

"Do you know a guy named Zeke? Runs a big corporation called Marley Industries." Levi said, feeling his mark itch at the name, like Erwin was equally occupied right now.

"That rings a bell, yeah. He's a piece of shit though. Deals with the Titan gang. All vile, hopeless kiddos with no resume or future."

"Could you fuck him up? Like not him in person, but maybe his company. Forge some papers, or whatever the shit you do really good." Levi dared to ask, never having bothered with Farlan's other jobs before.

"That's easy peanuts, but why? Did you cross lines with him? I do not recall setting you up with anything that would have interjected with his business."

"It's not for me. It's... it's important to me. I can't really explain. I know you don't owe me shit and I can't pay you, but if you would consider it, it would really help me out." Levi urged in a timid whisper, pacing up and down in his room.

"Alright. I'm not going to ask and I sure as shit don't want to know, but you are right. I don't have to do anything, I'm busy enough as it is. But you worked hard for me, for all these years. So consider this a parting gift on my part, since you didn't get much out of the France deal. Which is a pity but yeah. What should I do? I need some pointers." Farlan said, getting into his car, if the background noise was anything to go by.

"They have some business with another big company, trying to outbuy them. I don't really know the name, but their boss is named Pixis. Zeke has some kind of upperhand. So I need you to, I don't know, make his deal invalid? Maybe pull out some blackmail and send it to the Pixis guy. Anything that would break up this fusion." Levi said hastily, realizing how dumb he sounded, since he really didn't know shit.

"That sounds like fun." Farlan laughed. "I think I get what you mean and me and my team are on it. Consider it a job done. If you get lucky, it might even damage Nile's reputation in the process. He's risen up to some big shot among the Titans. You know I can't do anything about him, as much as I wish. But an all out war with the Titan gang is bad for my clients."

"I know. I'm sorry for that too." Levi confessed, his vulnerability getting the better of him. He knew he was asking for much, but he had to get off the phone, because the whole thing was getting to be a bit too much for his frail nerves.

"Bullshit on your part. You have nothing to be sorry for. I will go take care of fucking Zeke up and you go, do whatever the shit it is, you are doing these days. Dump the phone and number too. I know you no longer reside at Kenny's. I don't care where you are, or who fucked up your place, but sent me a card from Hawaii, if you get there." Farlan laughed, before hanging up on him. 

Levi dropped the phone, as if burned, relief flooding him briefly. It wasn't legal by any means, what he was doing, but in the end, he wasn't doing the job, Farlan was and from the sounds of it, the beta was excited about it.

This was the best he could do for now.

At least there already was some coffee on the table, when Erwin arrived in Pixis office, to go over the events of the last meeting and see the calculating mistakes Nile did, with his own eyes. They were indeed terrible as suspected, but there was no way, that even Nile could be this stupid to oversee blatant mistakes like that. The alpha came to the conclusion that he must have done this on purpose. Still there was no actual evidence of that, which became a common occurrence with all things considering Nile. Apparently the bastard learned to embrace his weaknesses and made use of everyone else seeing him as stupid. He must have given up on ever making it big in this company and now with Zeke in the picture, Erwin came to the conclusion that Nile didn’t make a mistake. 

He most likely had been promised a much better position at Marley Industries, in return for his services. In conclusion he calculated the data wrong on purpose and the blond had to admit that this was actually a clever move. If it would have went well, everyone would have been convinced, that fusioning with Marley Industries would be very beneficial for both parties – which it wasn’t – but if it didn’t go well – like it had happened – Survey Corp Inc. would appear as an incompetent jumble of idiots, with no proper management at hand, that desperately needed the guidance of a ‘more qualified’ business partner. Thus Marley Industries. 

Listening to Pixis management plan, the old man oblivious to Nile’s true intentions and completely falling for Nile’s little show act, made Erwin’s eyes wander to the clock and his mind drifting back to his Levi at home alone, wondering if he was alright all by himself. The alpha had to admit that despite craving his omega closeness, it felt good to occupy his thoughts with something entirely else and to do something about the matter at hand, instead of sitting at home helplessly, while Nile proceeded with ruining their life.

But this wasn’t the right moment to break the news, despite Pixis trusting him, there was still a chance, that he might turn on Erwin and regard the sincere matter at hand, as nothing more than a temper tantrum from the blond alpha, guessing, that he was feeling mad that his tasks and competences had partly been covered by Nile. 

Pixis had said “He did a really good job before, covering almost all of your work in your absence, otherwise I wouldn’t have trusted him, with such an important part in the meeting and called you in sooner.” It made his belly churn and left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

Nile had progressed more during his absence than he might have thought and it left Erwin wondering if what he had planned would be big enough to truly destroy Nile. He needed a miracle for that to happen, if he truly wanted to keep his word. 

He couldn’t let Levi down like that, he couldn’t. 

So despite only wanting to go home again, feeling completely worn out and not in a chattering mood at all, he forced himself to make his rounds across the whole office building, greeting and winding up in small talk with most of his co-workers, playing the happily mated alpha part, who was so proud of his mate and looked forward to the domestic life - a mating bond promised. He made the ladies swoon at the prince's charming attire and gained their sympathies renewing their hopes that there indeed were some decent men left in this world. If they liked him, the rumor mill would at least be in his favor and it was astonishing how much gossiping could destroy his life. 

Hours passed and the sky had turned dark, as Erwin finally made his way outside the building, talking this much to so many people, sure ate his time away. The things he would do for his Levi. With that in mind he finally made his way back home.

  
  



	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter every one. have fun... playing with the eggs and stuff, but stay safe... you don't want a surprise present for xmas after all. ;) We love you <3 Every single kudos, hit and comment is so precious to us both. Thank you for all the time you put into reading our work. Keep spreading positive vibes in these dark times. We need more loving nowadays, all of us. We are happy we can give back a little, with every update. Stay positive and upbeat. We've got this, the situation will eventually pass. Don't give up hope.  
P.s. we got news: the lovely Sk0ene is finally on AO3. <3

Levi chanced a glance outside his bedroom window, realising how late it had gotten and that Erwin shall be expected to be back within any minute by now. His stomach was churning with nerves, despite all the distraction, he had spread his scent out all over the apartment, mixed in with the cleaning supplies and a note of bleach in the bathrooms. He still terribly missed his mate. 

He put his cleaning supplies back under the sink, realizing he hadn't eaten all day, ever since Erwin left, but he didn't feel like he could stomach anything even now.

He really sucked at taking care of himself. On top of all that, time had just passed him by somehow, so caught up in his own head.

The neediness was clawing at his patience and he rolled back up in the sheets that held their combined scent, wrapping the guilt from the living room and some of the pillows of Erwin's bed up with him. If he couldn't have the alpha, he at least wanted their scents to mingle wherever they could. Erwin had said this was his home now, so he might as well start to put his foot down. 

He kept tossing, turning and rolling around restlessly. He switched to the couch, to his own bed, then moved on to his alpha's bed, rubbing his neck into the fine egypt linen that covered his mates bedroom and back to the safe cave, shedding his clothes all over the place as he went. 

It was chaos, but Levi didn't feel bothered by it, his mind too preoccupied with his need for his mate, to care about something as small as keeping the place in order. His inner omega dictating his actions by now.

He shed a few tears, when Erwin still wasn't home and all the waiting was making him feel all sticky and hot. He had a half formed idea in his head, when he rolled onto his stomach and let his fingers trail under the covers. Maybe, if he presented himself really nicely, his mate would stay and not leave again, or at least do something, basically anything would do by now, as long as it meant Levi got acknowledged. His own small hand barely was enough to cover the bases, he wanted his alpha's wide hands spanning across his hips, those thick fingers and plush soft lips. Just thinking about it, made Levi keen high in his throat and released a shit ton of hormones, he wasn't even aware of.

He kept rubbing his thighs together, kicking the duvet away and sprawling out wantonly on the bed, trying to find a position that would appeal to his alpha.

He didn't even care about the spotting he still had, having abandoned his paddings in the bathroom, before returning to roll all over the bed.

He wanted Erwin so bad.

When Erwin opened his apartment door, he had expected his apartment to look spotless, being alone and bored surely would have had a cleaning frenzy on his mate, in order to occupy himself, for the time he had been gone. What he hadn’t expected however, was the thick smell of horny omega filling the whole apartment and a trail of clothes, that lead to his former playroom, indicating that Levi was inside his new safe space. 

The mess he left behind probably was a representation of his state of mind, since such behavior was very unlike him, for all Erwin could tell. 

As he stepped inside and entered the hallway, the heavy scent of omega pheromones almost knocked him over. Levi, who must have heard his nearing footsteps had draped himself on the bed completely naked, with his slim legs spread wide, presenting himself openly to his alpha, almost purring in invitation, as his body begged for attention. 

The gray eyes followed Erwin’s every movement as he approached Levi slowly. Licking his lips he stared at him through hooded eyes, his arms reaching out for him, as he let out a whine of “alpha please, alpha need you!” and Erwin wondered briefly, if Levi’s heat had finally hit. The smell was different though, pheromones filling the air but not suffocating his brain and throwing him into a rut, the way like a true heat would. 

Was Levi doing something like this, just to gain his attention and feel him closer? 

Seeing the blood stains on the bed, red still leaking lazily out of his hole, Levi must have been so desperate, that he forgot to take care of himself first. Since the wellbeing of his mate was always the first priority for Erwin, he couldn’t simply tolerate such reckless behavior. The way Levi was presenting himself like that and inviting the alpha to take his fill, despite the doctors several warnings. He wasn’t even mad that Levi had stained the sheets. 

Whatever reaction Levi had anticipated, this sure didn’t seem to be it, considering the intensifying whines, as Erwin moved to sit on the side of the bed, next to his mate instead of pouncing onto him, like the omega might have expected and wished for.

“Levi…” he crooned softly and reached out his hand to pet Levi’s hair, but the hand got quickly caught by Levi, who shuffled forward to take the fingers into his mouth, licking and nibbling on them seductively, as he wiggled his behind. “What is the meaning of this?” 

Levi looked up at him, as if this was the dumbest question he had ever heard and continued his onslaught on the fingers in his mouth, tongue twirling and indeed succeeding in making Erwin wonder, how nice this treatment would feel on other parts of his body. His omega’s tiny hands started to paw at the dark blue suit, as he finally let go of the fingers and nudged closer to Erwin, whispering into his ear as seductively as he was capable of in this moment. 

“Need to be close to you, alpha. Need you inside of me. Want to be good for you, want you to stay.” he kept whining.

But all Erwin could see were the red patches Levi had left behind on the sheets, reminding him of how bad he had treated his mate before. As much as he wanted to oblige, as much as Levi wanted him too, they couldn’t indulge. Right now it felt like Levi felt obligated to please his alpha in anyway possible and apparently the only thing Levi could think of to manage that was sex. 

“You stained the sheets.” Erwin pointed out, as he lifted Levi up and back on the bed, who attempted to crawl onto his lap, “I am not mad, because of that. But I am disappointed that you are willing to ignore the doctors order recklessly and ruin your healing progress.” 

Obviously Levi wasn’t really listening to anything his alpha said to him, as he tried to climb back onto Erwin, the moment he was put back down on the bed.

This time though, Erwin didn’t push him away, but grabbed him and manhandled his mate into laying across his lap, fingers dancing across the pale skin gently, before halting to hold him by the neck and therefore rendering him immobile, without actually hurting him. 

Before Levi could protest a smack howled sharply through the room and his omega let out a choked whine, more in surprise than in actual pain, as Erwin gave him a firm slap on his ass. He was careful to avoid his tender hole, he didn’t want to actually hurt him. If his words weren’t enough, he would teach his mate the lesson another way. As Levi tried to open his mouth again, another well placed smack hit his backside. 

“As I already told you, you are disobeying doctor's orders and risking your own health. I won’t tolerate this. I will give you 8 more and you will think about your wrong doings. Do you understand that, Levi?” Erwin explained with his deep voice, his grip keeping Levi in submission, as he gave him time to comprehend what was about to happen, since it wasn’t his intention to scare Levi further. 

Nothing had prepared him for the whispered “Yes, Sir.” which was going straight to his own groin and he decided to ignore the cheeky undertone in Levi’s voice for now, wanting to see how cheeky he felt after his punishment. 

After all it would be a pity, if Levi wouldn’t get his reward for a lesson well learned.

Erwin’s touch on his overheated skin was bliss, making Levi almost mindless in his actions. He hadn’t anticipated Erwin to turn him over and smack his ass, but the sweet pain stinging his skin, as the wide palm came down once more, was actually turning him on. The shock was quickly replaced by lewd sounds of the slick rubbing in between his thighs. He wanted to rut up against the alpha, but he couldn’t move much, due to Erwin’s firm grip on his neck, otherwise he would probably wiggle around on the alpha’s lap with abandon.

He briefly wondered, if he was supposed to count the smacks, but there was hardly enough room to think clearly. 

Hadn’t Erwin said something about, thinking about his wrong doings?

The next hit made him moan shamelessly. Oh yes, it felt so wrong, to not be sitting on his alpha’s fat cock right now. He could feel the swelling pressing into his abdomen briefly, from his position and he craved it. It was so wrong, he couldn’t get his mouth stuffed, choking on his alpha’s knot, with his thick digits high up his ass. 

He almost voiced that out loud, asking for more, but all that came out was a hiss and another moan, that was bouncing off the walls, when Erwin’s wide palm connected with his abused skin once again.

“Erwin!” the keen echoed around the room, desperate and begging.

Levi anticipated the slipping of searching fingers down his crack, the more Erwin’s fingertips caressed his backside, in between smacks, sometimes firm, other times a feather light touch, ghosting tenderly over the redness.

Erwin crooned appreciatively. 

“Halfway there, Levi. Five more to go, you are doing so good my boy.” the alpha praised, hand gaining momentum to land a more firm hit on the underside of Levi’s right buttock, pushing another wanton moan out of his omega’s drooling mouth in the process.

“Punish me, Erwin.” Levi groaned, head lolling to the side on Erwin’s wide thigh, as another wave of hormones filled the space between them. If this was Erwin’s way of punishment, he had referred to, for what felt like many moons ago, then Levi wanted more. One of his hands, finding purchase in the expensive slacks Erwin was wearing, as he held on tight, skin already alight with fire, not knowing where Erwin’s wide palm would connect next. He was alternating sides in a pattern, Levi couldn’t figure out, even if he wanted to. He was way too far gone to actually care, the sting made his blood sing even louder. Everything was narrowed down to Erwin.

Erwin was finally here with him. 

Erwin was touching him. 

Erwin was punishing him. 

Erwin was taking care of him. 

He wanted the alpha’s scent all over himself, wanted to bath in it, bury himself in it. A content sigh slipping through his lips, he was probably enjoying this a little too much, but there was a certain itch, only the alpha could scratch.

Erwin wondered, if his omega would be open to try further practices, he liked to implicate as punishment or reward, if Levi already reacted this strongly to a simple spanking. The keening and moaning omega on his lap indicated that he was probably enjoying this too much, in order to still be considered a punishment. Levi’s whimpers were going straight to his cock and he could feel himself press against the underside of Levi’s belly. He kept his own arousal in check, no matter how much Levi wiggled and shifted on his lap, as he took every slap Erwin bestowed upon him. 

This was about Levi, not about him. The tiny ass reddened more and more with every slap and the little hole twitched, during the pauses in between, leaking a tear of red tinted slick. His fingers itched to stop his ministrations and instead catch the drop and bring his fingers back to toy with the hole - but he had sworn not only to himself, but had promised Hanji as well, that he would do nothing, that might hurt Levi. Regardless of how much the omega begged him to. 

The risk was too high to actually hurt him, especially if Erwin let himself get really into it, seeing his mate like that, he yearned to stretch him with fingers, scissoring him open, before impaling him on his knot, letting him take it for 45 minutes, completely tied up and rendered immobile. Just thinking over this amount of control, made him twitch in his pants, how much Levi must trust him to allow him to do something like that. After he finished the tenth slap, he appreciated his work done, stroking over the tender red flesh with a gentle palm.

“You’ve been so good for me, Levi. I am proud of you.” The alpha crooned softly, as Levi looked back at him expectantly, slowly comprehending, that he mastered his ‘punishment’. 

Erwin let go of his neck and lifted the omega in a sitting position on his lap. Levi’s small hand shooting up immediately to claw at the material of his shirt, that he used as leverage to lean up into a kiss. Seeing that Levi was still hard, the omega’s cock swollen and flushed a cute pink, Erwin only returned the kiss briefly, his hands moving up to hold Levi by the waist, keeping him in place and away from pressing his lithe body closer and closer, grinding his tight ass against him. 

‘Not yet’, Erwin reminded himself. ‘This is about Levi, not about you, taking your fill.’

“So what did you learn right now, Levi?” Erwin asked the omega, who tried to move his hips, despite the firm grip on his waist. He was looking up into Erwin’s eyes confused, not really listening, as his priorities lay hot and hard directly beneath him.

“Alpha, please.” But the alpha didn’t melt down at the whining, instead repeated his question one more time, eyeing Levi expectantly. The omega noticed that the tall bulk he was sitting on really wanted an answer to his question, before he would continue to do anything at all. So he answered the question, needing time to find the right words, as he stuttered it out, having a hard time to focus.

“F...Fol… follow doc… doctors or… orders. No… no risk.”

“That’s right, sweetie. Would you like to have your reward now? For being such a good boy.” As soon as Erwin had crooned the suggestion, Levi shuffled to spread his legs even further apart, straddling his alpha’s lap and wiggling his behind, but Erwin halted his movements and kissed him on the forehead, as he received a disappointed look from his mate. “Remember what the doctors told us? Not yet.”

Then he lifted Levi from his lap, who whined loudly at the apparent denial, fingers clawing at the fabric of his alpha’s button down, giving Erwin a hard time to pry them off of him. 

“We can’t do this, but I want to make you feel good. For this, I need you to trust me.” The alpha explained, as he watched Levi intently, making sure that his mate did comprehend his every word. “Do you trust me, Levi?” A short nod followed, after brief hesitation. “Then put your arms over your head, wrists together… yeah, just like that, you are such a good boy for me.” Erwin praised, as Levi complied his orders. The gray eyes followed his every move, as he began to undo his tie, holding the silver and blue striped item out for Levi to see. Then he leant forwards, his broad body hovering over the small frame of his omega, who still held still obediently, as his delicate wrists were bound together by the material of the silk tie and loosely looped around the headboard for added support. Not tight enough to strain Levi’s wrist and with enough give to allow him to lower his bound hands, shall he tugg hard enough. Now that Levi was rendered immobile, Erwin paused to admire his work, looking down on his mate fondly, as if he was the most beautiful thing, that ever graced the earth and to him, this was the truth.

Levi looked away at the intense gaze, tearing weakly at the binding and looking to the side timidly, his head only shooting up in surprise, as he felt the alpha’s fingers caress his body. He let Levi watch his movements for a while, took in the soft shivers and quiet gasps that left his mouth, when he grazed an especially sensitive spot. His collarbones, the area beneath his pecks. Leaving out the nipples intentionally, Erwin waited until they were stiff and peaked, begging for his attention, before finally leaning forward and taking the left one into his mouth, nibbling and sucking playfully on them, as he was fueled by Levi’s shameless moan of pleasure. Only after Levi was left completely breathless, Erwin showed mercy and let go of the abused little buds, leaving them swollen and decorated with little love bites, before wandering south, kissing every inch of pale skin his mouth could reach. His body shuffled down to follow his movement. The moment he reached the navel, kissing it lovingly and probing it with his tongue teasingly, he spread Levi’s legs further to accommodate his large body between them, holding him open with his shoulders, as his mouth worked its way closer and closer to his desired destination. 

Erwin took in the task at hand, his omega’s cock was flushed directly in front of his face and although he had taken bigger and was - despite being an alpha- no stranger to having a cock in his mouth, this cock was special and he desperately wanted to make this a good experience for Levi. 

It was rare for an alpha to even consider giving oral this way to his male omega, they usually went for the ass and Erwin couldn’t deny, that he would love nothing more than to drop his face even lower and taste the slick on his tongue, to eat Levi out until he cried from overstimulation. Instead, he took a deep breath and held Levi’s hips steady with his hands, as he leant forward, licking a broad swipe across the entire length of his omega’s shaft, before swallowing the cock down. Erwin expected Levi to trash at the novel sensation, but instead the small body froze up, whie his legs stretched to open ever wider. As he looked up, he could see that Levi had closed his eyes and that his mouth was opened in a silent scream briefly, before biting down on his lips hard. His whole body seemed tense, overwhelmed.

Levi didn't know if he actually wanted to escape the hot and delicious, moist mouth around his cock, or wanted to bury himself in it. The sensation was so foreign to him, it lit a fire in his pelvis, he hadn't known.

He knew how to suck cock and how to take Erwin's very impressive knot, but never in a million years would he have thought the alpha would go down on his knees for him. Even after all they did during his heat, which wasn't more than some blurry memories on a wet canvas to him by now, having Erwin's mouth around himself, was right on top of all the perfect things, the alpha had showered him with so far. 

His hands kept fighting the soft material of Erwin's tie, feeling the silk give only for an inch or so. His inability to bury his hands in the flax golden strands of his mate's hair, was making him desperate to let Erwin know how much he appreciated that. But the blond's clever tongue sliding into his slit and writhing around the head in the softest caress, with just the right amount of pressure, sucked all the air out of his lungs, before Erwin started to bop his head up and down in earnest. He wanted to scream under the onslaught of emotions, but not a single note left his lips. The experience rendering him almost mute, except for the moans filling the air around them.

He wasn't big enough to hit his alpha's throat, but Erwin swallowed around him anyway, adding yet another twist to his play.

Levi's fingers were itching to fist the sheets, to simply hold on, in any way, but Erwin's wide palms stretching over his waist, kept him firm on the bed, not able to push his hips upwards.

Levi whimpered, feeling himself approach the edge way too quickly under Erwin's ministrations. He didn't want it to end just yet, despite his alpha's reasoning, his ass was still empty, hole begging to be filled, expelling slick to draw his mate in.

"Erwin, please." Levi groaned out through gritted teeth, back arching further and presenting his neck openly in invitation. His alpha kept torturing him with his splendid mouth, only inching down so far, that he could roll one of the omega's balls in his mouth and prod his tongue against Levi’s perineum gently. Not enough to hurt him, but enough to let his finger rest on the delicate patch of tainted skin, between Levi's balls and hole, applying soft pressure. It made Levi keen breathlessly, the muscles in his abdomen tightening. He felt so wound up, that no matter, what his mates next move might be, he felt ready to burst.

Erwin nuzzled the slick wet thigh, tongue drawing circles around the scent gland there, leaving tender nips on the pale flesh, before moving up to Levi's hip bone with small gentle bites. Levi's entire body was trembling by now, toes curling and uncurling in anticipation, as Erwin went back to lavishing his small pretty cock again. The moment the heat and firm sucks returned, Levi felt like he was falling apart to pieces, mind scattering in a cloud of rainbow colored stars, as his climax hit him hard. His legs curling up and widening the space even more.

He was an open book for Erwin like this, a portrait of lust and beauty.

His alpha didn't turn away, but kept watching every flicker of emotions on the omega's face, as his mate spilled himself dry down his throat. The sweet tangy taste barely registering, but still so rewarding for the alpha. Levi was babbling, by the time Erwin stilled his kitten licks, having cleaned up the dick in his mouth, to the best of his ability, gently drawing his lips away from the over sensitive skin, with a wet plop.

Levi was still twisting in the sheets, coming down from his hormone crazed bliss, as Erwin gently drew him up in a hug, nosing the delicate neck softly. Levi threw his still bound hands over his alpha neck, pressing closer to the firm warm body, arching his neck even more, almost pressing it up against Erwin's lips. 

The alpha was astonished by this display of trust, letting his teeth scrab only the surface of their bonding mark scarred into Levi's neck.

The omega made an almost broken sound at that, waiting anxiously, as Erwin finally bit down softly again. The moment his alpha's teeth broke skin again, Levi went rigid in his arms, as their bond manifested yet again. His already spent cock, spurting out a few more drops of cum, as another wave of intense pleasure and contentment rolled over the omega. 

He belonged to Erwin.

Erwin was his mate.

Erwin was his.

The soft purr forming in the back of his throat, tumbled out from Levi's lips, despite his better judgement. But it felt so good, that Erwin was still wanting him. So he didn't even fight the urge, as he purred up a storm in the cradle of the alpha's strong arms.

The purring sounds that left Levi after Erwin set his claim on him again, went straight to his alpha’s cock throbbing angrily. He re-adjusted his pants decently to ease the pressure, the tight confines almost hurting his - in this case too well endowed - manhood. Despite his inner alpha howling at him to stake his claim further, push the little one down and fuck him over and over again, transforming the purrs into keens of pleasure. Erwin maneuvered Levi in his arms to lean back, so he could clean him up, leaning down to gather every drop of the almost clear liquid with his tongue.

Erwin licked his mate clean, careful in his ministrations not to overstimulate Levi. The bonding bite must have been intense for his mate, it had been for Erwin and just thinking about how right it felt, made him groan softly, as he licked off the last drop, savoring the taste, that was just Levi on his tongue. The bitter sweet aroma imprinted in his brain, building a slight contrast to the comparably sugarsweet taste of his slick. After Erwin finished, he loosened his tie around Levi's delicate wrists, kissing the leftover red marks on the pale skin gently, before cradling Levi in his arms. Immediately Erwin felt little hands gripping the material of his shirt, clinging on to him, as Levi snuggled his whole body against him. Still blissed out and content, the omega didn't care much about his current nudity, completely happy to be held by his mate.

"You liked that?" Erwin asked almost sheepishly and Levi nodded tiredly against the muscular chest, obviously completely worn out. With a cute little yawn, Levi shifted in Erwin’s lap - one of the alpha’s hands nudging Levi in position gently, so his still hard cock wouldn't press against his mate and startle him. Or even worse: encourage Levi to rile him up further, he already could barely handle the sensations. His mate on top of him, the taste of his arousal evident on his tongue and the adorable little noises, sleepy purrs, emerging from Levi. He knew that if he would lay Levi back right now, he could have his wicked way with him and Levi would let him. Because he wanted nothing more than being close to his alpha, despite his health condition and the doctors orders to leave the tiny hole alone, with no exceptions, so Levi could recover. 

Erwin wasn't as naive to think that one small spanking would be the miracle cure to Levi's self loathing and make him regard his own health as a priority, but maybe he would think twice next time, before doing something reckless. Before his inner eye Erwin saw it play out vividly, how Levi would stop and reconsider, before doing it anyways, only with twice the determination than before, seeing that he enjoyed not only the reward, but also the punishment itself a little too much.

When Erwin reemerged from his thoughts again, he found Levi asleep in his arms. The black hair tousled, his cheek resting against his chest, drooling onto the dark blue material of his suit's button down, the purring had been replaced by soft snores a while ago. Careful not to wake him up again, Erwin lifted Levi and laid him down on the bed, mindful to give him new pads and wrap his lower half in soft towels. He draped the bed sheets over him and kissed his mate goodnight. Only then, did he leave Levi to sleep in peace and went into his own bedroom to take care of the urgent matter at hand, his own raging erection pulsing fiercely in neglect for what felt like ages. 

Finally alone, although with his mate nearby, Erwin rid himself of his elegant blue dress suit, discarding it almost carelessly on the floor. His hand wrapped around himself, the moment his cock finally sprang free from its confines. Stroking himself with no finesse whatsoever in a rhythm, that almost bordered on violent, desperate for release. He made himself get close as fast as he could. 

He wanted to go back to Levi, wanted to hold him again, wanted to make love to him and feel himself deep inside him, but with his mind in a spin, the alpha couldn't trust himself, especially regarding what had happened between them. His mind was hazy with lust, repeating Levi's name over and over again, interrupted with quietly gritted out curses, as his hand, that was pumping his fat cock in a furious rhythm, sped up even further, meeting the desperate rutting of his hips.

Ecstasy almost blinded him, as his knot finally popped into thin air, pressing against the underside of his fist and he came with a long deep grown into his own hand, coating it with thick spurts of cum. 

While Erwin caught his breath, still panting harshly, he couldn't help but wonder how Levi's small hands would feel around his thick cock, compared to his own rather big hands. His just spent cock twitched in interest already and the alpha cursed his new found insatiability, since he mated with Levi. Deciding to not entertain the fantasy any longer, after all he wanted to fall asleep next to Levi and not in his own bed - completely exhausted after a masturbation marathon, waking up all alone and drowning in his own cum. 

Erwin cleaned himself up swiftly, before returning back to Levi's side, laying down next to him and snuggling up close.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a little celebration, because finally Sk0ene is on AO3, give her all the love. That's reason enough to publish early, now I will need to work a lot harer to get the next update edited, but who cares. Here is to some progress and my lovely Co-author. Without her, this babe wouldn't even exist, except for in the deep recess of my fucked up mind that is. We love you guys.

For the first time in a long while Levi slept like a log, dead to the world, no nightmares, no panic, no half an eye open with the knife ready to cut a throat. He woke up softly pressed against Erwin's chest, his nose stuck in the alpha's neck, close to the scent gland, basking in the feeling of safety and home and most of all mine.

His neck still throbbed a bit from the renewed mating bite, but it wasn't an uncomfortable pain. He indeed welcomed it, as it signified Erwin's claim, made it more solid, that he belonged to no one but Erwin.

Erwin would see to him, care for him, provide for him. The alpha would give his life for him, if it meant Levi would be save. The realization was opening flood gates he had kept close, for as long as he was able of forming coherent thoughts. Levi closed his eyes, admitting defeat and allowed the emotions to swap through his body, translating into his bond with Erwin like a tsunami. It woke the alpha up, but instead of panicking, that Levi would jump up and make a run for it, or heavy desperate sobbing, he was greeted by a bone crushing hug from the omega, who had glued himself into Erwin's lap, rolled up in a fetal position, hands encircling the broad shoulders and little fingers digging into the strong muscles firmly. The omega obviously wasn't planning to let go of him any time soon.

Levi sighed, as Erwin started to card his fingers through his black hair in a soothing manner.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." the alpha crooned softly, brushing away a few stray tears, that had managed to escape the tightly shut gray irises.

Levi nuzzled his scent gland almost violently, instead of speaking. He couldn't find the words necessary to express himself, chose to let his emotions do the talking for him. He could only pray that Erwin would be able to translate the mess he was broadcasting, his scent filling the space between them.

The heat like madness of lust, that had consumed him yesterday, had simmered down to an amber glow, allowing the omega to think clearly. The conclusions he had been running from, ever since he and Erwin had mated, kept coming, kept becoming real and Levi just accepted it, let it flow through him. He was tired of running from himself, tired of fighting the reality. Erwin had proven over and over again, that this was serious for him. That he would literally cherish the ground Levi walked on, if it made him stay and Levi wanted to stay. He wanted Erwin to be his home and shelter from the storm.

The alpha was a warm cozy presence next to him, strong arms wrapped safely around his petty small frame.

"Mine." Levi murmured drunk on Erwin's scent.

"I'm all yours." Erwin assured, never losing touch with his omega, as he got him some water from the nightstand.

"Want some breakfast?" The alpha asked, gently, while Levi took a few tentative sips.

"Not yet, daddy." Levi whined, proving his point, by wrapping his legs around the alpha's hips firmly, tangling their limbs together. He wasn't even aware of the title slipping out of his lips, as he clung onto him like a koala bear.

It made Erwin's breath shudder in his chest and his fingers temporarily fisted in the soft hair between his fingers.

"What do you want my sweet boy?" Erwin asked, voice dropping an octave, making him sound husky, like he had been smoking an entire pack of cigarettes the night prior. Levi made an indifferent sound at the inquiry. It was too early to make decisions and he was still overwhelmed from the emotional turmoil he had woken up to. 

Erwin wrapped the blanket around him tighter, making sure Levi wouldn't freeze, as he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. He had an idea, what to do, but he would have to leave the bed for a few minutes to do so, even though he could simply lay there and cuddle his omega all day, just to indulge him. 

"Alright my prince, I'll be right back for more cuddles, just let me get something for you real quick." He whispered into Levi's ear, before slipping out of the blanket nest, feeling the cool air nip at his ankles.

He rushed to the kitchen, fixing some fruits, cookies and a thermos of fresh tea, before returning to the playroom, switching on the fairy lights, Mike had helped him pin to the ceiling for comfort, grabbing one of the books from the shelf and snuggled back in. Levi climbed on him the moment he was resting against the headboard, head coming back to rest over the alpha's heartbeat.

"Missed you." Levi pouted around a yawn. This cute little shit would be the death of him.

Erwin picked a book for children, filled with different kinds of fairy tales, the one, that his father used to read to him when he was little. 

Chuckling at the cute display, Erwin cradled Levi’s whole body closer, as he wrapped an arm around him, so he could look at the illustrations in the book, while listening to his alpha’s deep baritone. 

Up on opening the book, Erwin cleared his throat for good measure, afraid his voice would crack just from remembering his mate’s adorable exclamation. Just a few seconds ago Erwin would have deemed the thought impossible, that Levi would trust him so much and act on a feeling so intimate to his deepest needs. 

Erwin felt his heart swell, as his mate looked up to him expectantly, waiting for him to begin. Erwin needed a moment to realize his position, sitting in their safe space, as if everything actually was well and nothing bad could ever harm them again. Only then, did he begin to read, starting with the first story, one of his favorite childhood fairy tales, the little red riding hood. 

While reading he made an effort to change voices for every character, reading every word with passion and emotion, almost acting the story out with small gestures and pitch changes, to breathe life into the black printed words, surrounded by lovely art. Just like his own father had done it for him, when he was young. Every now and then Levi let out a tiny gasp or held his breath, as he was drawn into the fairy tale, completely enraptured by Erwin’s voice dancing around the room. He listened intently, as his gray eyes admired the beautiful art on every page, from the delicate frame of little red riding hood, to the scary menacing form of the wolf.

The moment Erwin finished reading the story, letting his voice drop at the last sentence in a closing manner and finishing off with the obligatory “The End”, he felt Levi nudge his shoulder, tapping against the book in a demanding manner, to indicate that he wanted another story, before Erwin could even consider closing the book. So Erwin turned the page. “Shockheaded Peter” the title read and he decided to skip this one, quickly turning the pages, so Levi couldn’t stop him. 

This fairytale by Heinrich Hoffmann scared the shit out of him as a child, his father having to spend a few hours trying to pry him out of the bed ever again. 

“The tale of Soupykaspar” was the next title, that greeted him and also made him turn the pages at a faster pace. He wouldn’t want to frighten his mate on accident. They finally arrived at “Mother Hulda” and Erwin deemed this fairytale acceptable, praying he recalled the story correctly, he finally continued reading. 

Levi had been getting impatient and signaled his annoyance at his alpha’s unusual indecisiveness, by rubbing his cold calves up and down the strong leg of his mate, hoping to literally freeze him with them. Just as he finished the story and was about to start turning pages again, in order to find another fitting story to read to Levi, who had returned to the task of nudging and punishing him again, with the cold soles of his feet rubbing up against him yet again. 

Although the alpha had to admit, he found his little ice cube resembling feet cute – he could hear a phone ring in the distance.

Erwin shot up, his mind already going into overdrive, rendering his brain for his schedule, afraid that he had missed a meeting or something else important, but nothing urgent came to his mind. 

“I have to take this.” He groaned out loud, as he rushed out of the bed, almost sprinting to the still ringing phone and missing the call by a second. The screen of the phone was still lit up. 

“Unknown” 

Just then Erwin realized that he was holding Levi’s phone in his hand and not his own. Just before the screen turned to black again a message popped up, reading only one word:

‘Tomorrow’

Levi could hear Erwin growl angrily in the distance. The noise making the hair on the back of his neck stand up, rushing all the cozy feeling out of his body.

Something was up. A needle had finally popped the fake bubble, they had created around themselves for the past days. The cold from his feet seeped through every bone of his body, making him shake slightly, despite the body warmth, that was still trapped under the covers, from where Erwin had been sitting just minutes ago. The world hadn't stopped, moving on without them and Levi suddenly realized Erwin hadn't answered the phone.

Why was the alpha so angry?

Then it suddenly occurred to him that Erwin never got text messages. He mainly used Email to communicate with work, the realisation hit Levi hard and dosed his entire body in a cold shiver. It must have been his phone ringing. 

The realisation made his stomach cramp viciously, in memory of the consequences the last time this had happened. The pain robbed him of his breath for a few seconds, before the suppressed agony made him jump out of bed and carefully exit the safe cave.

He didn't feel ready to fight his demons. 

He wanted to go back to hiding out with Erwin, but time was up. He had to man up. 

The omega struggled to get out of the safe headspace he had slipped into, while in Erwin's calming presence. This wasn't fair. He wasn't ready, but he also had nowhere to run. 

He couldn't just leave his fucked up shit for Erwin to deal with. This time though, he wouldn't have to fear to lose a pup. All he had to lose was his life, or his dignity. But Erwin sure as hell wouldn't let that happen. 

With his head hanging, his hair brushing across his face, he slowly made his way to the living room. With each door he passed through, determination bleed into his steps. 

Nile should rot in hell. He wanted to fuck him up so bad. For taking away his family, for making him insecure, for keeping him in poverty and his money away from him. 

He wanted to eat that man alive, tear him to pieces, limb by fucking limb. The anger spiked a fire in his gut, he hadn't felt in a long while. A plan slowly took shape, as he stepped up to Erwin, who was still fuming, staring down at Levi's burner phone.

He should have gotten rid of it, just as Farlan had told him to. Why did he keep it around, just for Nile to pester him? This entire sht show had to end, it had to. He was so done with it. He yearned to settle down with Erwin.

Levi softly touched the alpha's arm, careful not to approach him blindly, in case Erwin would swing at him out of reflex.

"Alpha!" For the first time Levi's voice was the firm commanding one. He stirred Erwin over to the couch, sitting him down, before crawling back up to his lap. He just snuggled firmly into his mate's site, reserving sitting in his alpha's lap for other interactions. He didn't want to taint it with something vile, like discussing Nile of all people. The fucker had taken enough from him as it was. Levi pried the phone out of Erwin's crushing grip, his eyes catching the text and swallowing hard.

"Erwin! Listen." The blond snapped his head up violently, their gazes locking instantly.

"Do you know someone from the police? Someone who could help set up a trap, but wouldn't rat my ass out? We both know he's not going to stop." Levi pointed out coldly, having detached himself a bit from the situation itself, in order to deal with this shitfest.

Erwin's mind was going a mile a minute. 

Mike came to mind instantly. He was no longer a cop in the force, but he could help.

"You don't have to turn yourself in." Was the first thing however, the alpha blurted out shocked. 

"I'm not planning to." Levi replied harshly. He had other ideas. He hadn't told Erwin about Nile's lewd offer and he wasn't planning to. But maybe, if he met up with Nile, they could blame assault on him, frame him with the lost pup on top of it for good measure. 

Levi was pretty sure he wouldn't see his money ever again, but they could spin a story. Maybe if he made the police believe that this money was his heritage and Nile had kept it from him, to make him abort the pup, that the other alpha had simply lost it finally, when Levi didn't comply. Something like this. 

Of course he didn't want Nile's hands or rancid dick anywhere near him or even close to him, which is why they needed backup. They needed someone, who would step in and stop the charade, before any harm was done, if he wanted this to work. They might also need a voice recorder, so he could milk some discriminating proof out of the lizard beforehand, some sort of threat or guilty plea, a confession if everything went according to plan. Whatever worked. He couldn't just sit and wait for Farlan's ploy to manifest, they needed more substance to put the other alpha away for good.

“I would have to call Mike, see if he wants to help.” Erwin said, expecting Levi to cringe by the mention of the other alpha, but his omega just gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, upon hearing the alpha’s best friend's name. It bugged Erwin to no end, that Levi refused to tell him all the details of his plan. Didn’t he finally gain his mate’s trust? 

Apparently this wasn’t so easy to answer, but he couldn’t feel any malice towards him in their bond, just the need to keep him out of this particular situation. Erwin of course didn’t like it, not at all. He kept himself from prying into the matter any further, as he decided that trusting Levi on this, is all he could do for now.

‘Tomorrow’ said the message and Levi was typing away furiously on his phone, probably setting up the trap for Nile in some way, he wouldn’t want his alpha to see. 

Erwin had the bad feeling that this was for the best. Although he couldn’t help his curiosity and annoyance rambling through him, at not being included as much in the plan, as he would have liked. The alpha tried his hardest to believe in Levi’s cunning mind. His omega was a master thief after all. On top of all of that, he had to call over Mike, so he could discuss the details with Levi. 

The fact alone, that Levi would trust another alpha – it didn’t really matter to him, that it was Mike, who would never take his Levi away from him – bothered Erwin more than he would have liked to admit. Regardless of that, he took out his own phone and started scrolling through his contacts to call Mike over, listening to the tooting of the phone with his jaw clenched. 

Apart from “Levi has a plan and you need to come over and help us.” Erwin couldn’t provide much information and his agitation about this was present, as a slight bite in his tone. He really tried to be nice, since Levi relied on him to convince Mike to help him. Thankfully Mike agreed, chuckling at the other alpha's obvious discomfort at the whole situation by sending Erwin an array of smiling, crying emojis. 

He looked over to Levi, to see the omega was still occupied with texting, a look of pure disgust written on his face, as he let out an annoyed groan or gag from time to time, while reading the responses, before typing frantically again. 

“Mike will be over soon.” Erwin sighed, a troubled expression crossing his face. 

Levi acknowledged Erwin’s confirmation with a short nod and a brief “Thank you.”, then he left Erwin alone with his thoughts and worries about the trap his omega was about to set up, by going back to his phone.

“You can’t be present during the trap.” Levi interrupted the silence between them, still typing on his phone with flying fingers, not explaining any further, as if he had just stated the most obvious and logical thing in the world. 

Erwin wanted to shake him, to nudge him and to beat some sense into him, since his omega obviously had lost his marbles. There was no way he would let his mate confront Nile on his own. 

He all too vividly remembered Levi’s expression, as he rushed back up the stairs into his arms, running away from Nile, the fear in his eyes, the absolute terror and the panic after the confrontation. 

“No.” the alpha growled out, crossing his arms in front of his chest, as he stood tall, directly in front of his mate. Levi was still seated on the couch, now looking up at him with gray eyes that clearly told him how much he did not want to explain this any further to him. 

Finally he did put his phone aside, giving his full attention to his alpha, who glared back intensively.

Erwin was fed up with the lack of information and sick with worry, because he knew his omega was about to do something incredible stupid and very dangerous. Worst of all is the fact that he had no control over the situation. Therefore he could not protect his mate and just the prospect of losing him – losing him, too – was fogging his mind with fear and the need for control, so he could keep him safe. Levi sighed, feeling the turmoil inside his alpha through their bond. 

“I am doing this for us.” He stated earnestly, locking his gray eyes to the ocean blue irises of his mate, but before he could explain further, tell him the obvious, that he wouldn’t like it, but it was necessary - the clicking of the door interrupted their standoff, as Mike let himself in with his spare key. The brute of a man smirked, picking up on the tension in the room. The challenge was yet another way for Erwin to prove that he had indeed changed.

They didn’t bother much with unnecessary small talk and it certainly wasn’t long, until Levi banned Erwin from the room entirely with a rather brusk “Go clean up the kitchen or stuff. The cupboards look like shit.”.

To his own surprise Erwin obeyed and started to sort out the contents of their cupboards and freezer, trying desperately to keep his mind from whatever the two were discussing behind closed doors. At least he hoped they were discussing and Erwin hated himself and his goddamn jealousy, just for thinking something like this. A part of him still wanted to burst into the room to see and hear what they were doing. Maybe he could sneak in for a few minutes with a tray of cookies and tea, like an overly concerned parent of a teenager, who just had his crush in his room? 

Erwin had to tell himself over and over again, that he needed to trust Levi, that he would trust Levi and that Levi was capable to make his own decisions – which was all true of course – but he had a bad feeling about this and he hated not knowing why. It was obvious that Levi only kept this from him, because he knew that Erwin would hate the plan.

  
  


At first Levi was nervous to be alone in a room with Mike, especially since he was about to beg him for a favor. But Mike didn’t smell like he was having any ill intentions, as he settled onto the far end of the couch to listen intently to the smaller omega. It took awhile for Levi to open up, with a few stutters here and there, before he finally felt confident enough to explain the key points of his plan to frame Nile, to the other alpha.

“He will hate the plan.” Mike hummed, after listening to Levi‘s detailed description about what he was about to do tomorrow and why he needed Mike as a backup. 

“This is why I am not telling him the details. I need this to work.” the omega bit back.

Mike could smell the fear and worry on Levi, about what would happen, if the plan failed. He was terrified of his own courage and the other alpha was honestly shocked to what lengths the tiny omega was willing to go, to escape his past and to protect his alpha. 

“I can't have him pounce on Nile, because he feels possessive and let him ruin the best evidence to frame the fucker. Also I don’t want him to get into trouble because of me. Openly attacking Nile could be dangerous.” 

This sounded like Erwin had threatened Nile before and it would not be wise to indulge in this any further during the plan. But Mike couldn’t blame Erwin for wanting to rip Nile’s head off. 

It was for the best, that no one knew what had happened to the bastards, that had hurt his Nana, there was a reason why he wasn’t working as a cop anymore. One reason was that the emotional and physical exhaustion started to gnaw at his sanity and Nana had pleaded with him to not do this to himself anymore, because his own health was more important. He would never forget her small frame cowered on the ground, as she cried in panic at losing him, too. The other reason was, that you would lose yourself and start doing shit, you never wanted to do. When he started the job he wanted to implement justice and make the world a better place. When he left the job he knew that there was no justice left in this rotten world. He wanted nothing more than to leave it all behind him, so he asked Erwin for a favor many years ago, which brought him to where he was working today.

“So will you help me?” Levi interrupted Mike’s thoughts.

Mike hesitated for a moment, thinking it over again. He didn’t like the plan either. Levi taking up Nile’s lewd invitation, even if just for show, already made his own stomach churn and he wouldn’t want to think of the consequences, if something went wrong. Keeping Erwin out of it like that also seemed wrong. He knew his friend long enough.The other alpha was probably forcing himself to stay in the kitchen, while his self-doubt and insecurities, which were usually well hidden behind a mask of calculating confidence and ruthless decision making, ate away at his sanity. 

“When will you meet up with him?” Mike inquired and Levi just smirked at his first success, while the other alpha wondered, if he should already start to dig himself a hole, because if Nile wouldn’t kill him, Erwin surely would, for going along with Levi’s insane plan.

"The deadline ends at noon. He agreed to meet up at 10 a.m. in this shady fucking shop on the corner a few blocks down. No way I'm meeting that scumbag at night. I tried to set it up in his office, but the bastard wouldn't have any of that." Levi sighed, carding his hand, nervously through his raven hair. 

"What about your old place?" Mike suggested, knowing it would be easier to access, should he need to call the cops earlier than intended. Levi denied, shaking his head furiously.

"Not safe at all. I don't know which pisshead had been in there, or what happened, since I'm gone. It would be a rats nest, too many places for his people to hide." 

"Anyone who could check it out for you beforehand?" The alpha asked, knowing there must be other shady people, Levi could possibly conjure up, with the snap of his fingers alone.

"No, they are busy with other Nile related shit." Levi grit out sourly. It hadn't been his intention to give away that tidbit of information.

"Other Nile related shit?" Mike echoed back, he didn't like that there was even more going on behind their backs, even more stuff Erwin might not know about. Levi glanced towards the kitchen nervously, trying to make out if Erwin was listening in on them, but the alpha was dutifully organizing the pantry, making enough noise, that he couldn't possibly be eavesdropping on them.

"They try to shut down that Zeke person from buying out your company with Nile's bullshit." Levi hissed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His own nerves were starting to get to him, his leg bounced up and down nervously, while he kept blinking way too fast.

"Oh!" Mike didn't know what to say to that. "But how do you know?" He finally dared to ask. The corporation business shouldn't be any of the omega's concerns to begin with.

"Nile works for the Titans and that Zeke person works with the Titans. So what a fucking coincidence, that Nile works at the corporation Zeke wants to buy out. Don't you think?" Levi replied sarcastically. Mike let out a gruff whistle, that was definitely delicate news, neither of them had been aware of and just hearing the gang's name, made his skin crawl. 

He knew them pretty well, since he took out some of them during his duty. These people had hurt his mate and his hate hadn't faltered ever since he left the forces.

"Thank you for telling me, this sets stuff into perspective. But I would prefer, if we set up Erwin in his car, a few blocks down, in case you need to retreat fast. He's better at calming you down, than I would." Mike said earnestly, he had no doubt that he would be able to get Levi out. But he held very much doubt that he would be able to keep him from breaking apart afterwards. 

Levi mulled that over in his head for a while, letting silence settle between them, before agreeing with a sharp nod. He could see Mike's reasoning and maybe it would help Erwin feel useful and not that left out.

"Do I get in trouble should I need to stab him?" Levi asked next.

"Not if it's self defense." Mike replied. 

"Good. If anything, I will make it look like fucking self defense." The omega spat, scratching his arm absentmindedly. He wanted this shitfest to be over already. "That's all, thank you for helping me with this." Levi dismissed the conversation, already done with it.

"Well then I will be here at 9 a.m. sharp tomorrow to set you up." Mike confirmed, the uneasy feeling in his gut wasn't settling in the slightest.

Levi excused himself to retreat into his alpha's ensuite bathroom, where he wanted to drown himself in a bubble bath, in an attempt to loosen his already stiff posture, so he could get a few hours of shut eye, while he still could. He also had a craving for pizza, but the calories would only slow him down.

Mike filled Erwin in on his part of the plan, before leaving to get his equipment ready. If they were dealing with Titans, then there was no time for his gun to jam or worse.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not posting regularly. Quarantine is crazy and now I have gone back to work and everything is crazy. I have to work on my time management. But finally here is the update. Please read the tags again. This update comes with a warning!  
I must confess, that this is partly to blame, why it took me so long to edit this. It touched my feelings and made me sad, so I cried a lot and couldn't work on it, because I just needed a lot of time to take care of my miserable self. I'm sorry, I beg for your forgiveness and I provide lots of tissues to dry tears with for you all. Please by all means take a break, if you have to. This is a lot of feelings!  
Now I better run, before you all will kill me.

Levi barely slept at all, no matter what Erwin tried, in the end the omega feigned sleep, so at least Erwin would get a few hours of rest, before slipping out of his hold to polish and sharpen his blade. His whole body was taught like a spring.

He refused Erwin's breakfast, the same way he had rejected the alpha's dinner, the pizza being kept cold in the fridge. Levi was sure he would hurl, if he tried to eat anything at all, just forcing down the tea was bordering on painful already. He hadn't even set foot in the dinghy shop yet and was already feeling dirty beyond belief. It hardly made sense, why Nile had reverted so suddenly to the lewd offer, but Levi suspected he was just bluffing or going senile in his old age. After all he had always loved to ridicule and humiliate him.

Mike had efficiently cabled him up, careful to not touch Levi anywhere else, then strictly necessary, to set up the recording device, before they departed. Erwin didn't know their exact location, but he had set up his car, as suggested by Mike, bringing towels, blankets, some of Levi's favourite things, as well as some food and drink just in case. He had to wait on the curb, in front of a Starbucks, not knowing, if they were close by or somewhere entirely else, after they had left him.

Erwin’s knuckles turned white, as he gripped the wheel of his car. It had only been a few moments, since Mike and Levi exited the car, leaving him all by himself, since he was supposed to stay at the curb of the Starbucks coffee shop, in case they needed a quick escape. Of course this made a lot of sense to Erwin. 

When a dangerous situation arose, you needed to be able to get out of it immediately, he reasoned with himself, pushing away the feeling of uselessness and rejection. Still, he didn’t like simply sitting there, waiting for his phone to ring, or any other signal, like Levi running back to him. Possibly even followed by dramatic explosions, like all the heroes in the action movies, that numbed his brain after work. If it wouldn’t mean that something was going terribly wrong, Erwin would wish for a signal, any sign from Levi or even better another task for him to do, aside from sitting there in waiting. 

Not knowing the details of the plan made him restless and he disliked it more than he wanted to admit, that Mike was the one protecting his Levi, instead of Erwin himself, for reasons he didn’t really understand. ‘His emotional attachment might endanger their plan’, he had been told at least that much, but imagining the circumstances, under which his ‘emotional attachment’ to Levi might be a risk to consider, made his stomach turn. That he could clearly feel Levi’s distress and nervousness through their bond didn’t help either. 

“He is doing this for you. You must mean the world to him.” Mike had told him, before they left, almost urging him to trust his mate. 

Erwin really tried to trust him, but he was still on edge, sitting in the car with nothing left to do, aside from waiting and scrolling through his phone, or keeping an eye on his surroundings. His whole body was itching to follow them. It was hard to believe that Mike would be enough to keep the situation - whatever the situation actually was - from escalating. 

Levi kept scratching his neck, his arm, his thigh, while standing next to Mike on the sidewalk, two blocks down from the meeting point.

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" The alpha asked.

"Yeah, just let's get it over with. I'm pretty sure he will drag me into the backroom." 

"I would suggest to not go anywhere else with him. I could trail you, but it will only be more difficult to get to you in time." Mike said earnestly, eyes observing their surroundings. He had his contact of the police force on speed dial, knowing some old colleagues of his were patrolling the area more closely. They kept walking, splitting up, before they reached the dingy hole in the wall shop to not raise suspicion.

Levi's legs were shaking, since he got out of the vehicle and it took all of his will power to enter the shop like nothing was amiss. 

The shelves while barely packed, seemed to be ready to cave in under the minimum weight regardless. The floor was a muddy dirty tiled brown that had been cleaned last, back in god knows when. The overhead light kept flickering, as he pretended to survey the measly 3 different brands of soda, stored in the fridge closest to the register, while he was jiggling some pennies in his sweatpants pocket for good measure.

It was already 5 minutes before 10 a.m. and the piece of shit had yet to show face, but instead of fretting, he turned over a packet of crisps, clutching it so hard, that he could feel the fast food crumbling under his hand, almost popping all the air out of the out of date packaging. He was on high alert and almost jolted half a foot in the air, as Nile emerged from the hallway leading to the backroom, next to the register.

"Look, look who's come to lick my feet." Nile drawled, an evil grin plastered widely over his face. He couldn’t wait to possess yet another thing, Erwin held dear. "Come here!" The alpha barked. Levi recoiled at the order, but obeyed nonetheless, following Nile into the back.

"I want my money back." Levi hissed without preamble, crossing his arms in front of his chest, one foot still stuck in the doorway, ready to turn tail.

"We all want a lot of things that we can not have." Nile sighed dramatically. "Do you want your mommy back alive? Or perhaps for Kenny to come back and fuck you in the ass, once more? I would pay to watch that. There were some really great old video tapes left behind at your place. Oh uncle please no!" Nile mimicked in a thick desperate sounding french accent, as he stepped up closer. The revelation made Levi almost gag. What else did this guy know? Even he hadn't been aware, having suppressed most of his memories successfully so far back in his mind and safely locked away, that Nile’s words were almost causing him whiplash.

He was supposed to get information out of that guy and not get stripped of his dignity for all the world to see. Mike could hear every single word of this encounter, which doubled the feeling of shame clawing at the omega’s gut.

"You know Levi, I'm probably way better than your uncle anyway." Nile said, following it up with a nasty laugh, while Levi was still reeling, trying to come up with a way to turn the tables. He hadn't been expecting this. He hadn’t even known any of this 5 minutes ago, while now his brain was nearly breaking apart under the images and feelings that came rushing back into his consciousness like lethal gun shots. 

This couldn’t be real, he was supposed to be the one with the upperhand, but he couldn’t do anything, apart from watching Nile as he laughed to himself, pacing the floor.

Mike could feel bile rise up in his throat, as he heard Nile spew such filth, mimicking the cruelty of Levi’s past in a perverse manner, as if this was just good entertainment for him. He had a front seat to the conversation happening inside the shady corner store, over the recording device hidden on Levi’s chest. Hearing Nile like this, made it difficult for Mike to comprehend that this was really his work colleague in front of him. Nile always had been a bit shady, but everyone thought it was just ‘Nile being Nile’, after all it was easy to say “Ah, that’s just Nile, don’t mind him. He is actually a good dude.” when your drunk comrade utters disgusting shit. 

No one would have thought that there was some truth to his behavior, since Nile wasn’t considered the brightest candle in the office. Now seeing his true colors, Mike wondered how much of his foolishness was just for show. 

It took a lot of the alpha’s willpower to hold back and not rush into the store, pull out the gun and blow the fuckers brain out of his skull. When Levi mentioned that Nile was involved with the Titan gang, Mike suspected that Levi and Nanaba lived through similar hells, but hearing his theories confirmed with his own ears, made his blood run hot and cold at the same time. So this is why Levi wanted Erwin to stay away. It already had been difficult to persuade Levi to allow him to cover as a backup and not just come over for cabling him up. 

As Nile’s dirty laugh echoed in his ear, Mike thought to himself grimly, that they would indeed need him. Levi probably needed him just as much right now, like Nana had needed him, when he had found her, if the sharp intakes of breath in the background were anything to go by. A part of him was glad that Erwin couldn’t listen in on their encounter, he would probably pop a vein and just go all in for the kill, if he knew.

Nile had seated himself on the tattered looking couch opposite the door, legs spread wide and hands stapled in front of his chest, with the most disgusting smile on his face.

"What my uncle did, was none of your business! Snooping around in my house was none of your business! Trashing the place and stealing my shit was none of your business too!" Levi hissed, refusing to step closer, despite Nile's hand waving. "I entrusted that money to you, because I was a minor, when Kenny bit the bullet. You were supposed to keep my heritage until I'm off age. Well newsflash for you, I've been off age for a few years already and you always find some shitty excuse to hold on to it. I'm sick of your scheming. I want it back and I want it back now! All of it!" The omega demanded, glad that his voice wasn't wavering, even if he felt ready to kick the bucket himself.

"Age is just a number, you haven't really grown up at all shrimp. Just look at you, you small thing, barely taller than a 14 year old teenager." Nile kept mocking him, voice dropping towards the end. "Also, there is debt to pay. I had a lot of work with your heritage and your uncle left much to be desired, borrowing my money and not paying back. So how about you pay up now and I'll give you the leftovers." Nile smiled disgustingly.

"Are you fucking serious right now!" Levi spat, losing his composure momentarily. He couldn't believe this stack of bullshit. He wasn't responsible for any of the old man's debts and hell could freeze over, if he even lost a cent to something like this, after all Kenny had put him through.

"Get your ass over here!" Nile ordered, impatiently, patting his lap, obviously sick of the smalltalk. Levi glared at him, refusing to comply. The alpha's tone made his skin itch.

"Fuck you!" Levi hissed, taking another step back, as Nile got to his feet again. He wanted to turn around and run, but he couldn't, not yet anyway. He didn't have enough proof to fuck Nile over. 

The alpha didn't hesitate to tower over him, his arms caging Levi in and pressing him up against the wall, stinky alcohol induced breath and all.

"You know, you still owe me bitch! The few meager dollars you left to me years ago, were not worth a dog's shit and I know that you are keeping at least another 2 million from me. Or do you want me to call the cops on your shady business? Explain why you had a shit load of weapons stashed in your dear uncle's house, huh?" Nile drawled, one finger moving over the omega's prominent cheekbone in a teasing touch. 

Levi was so livid, it took all his willpower to itch his fingers slowly towards his hidden knife, while Nile grabbed his chin in a vice like hold, daring him to disobey and look away.

"Don't! Don't fucking touch me! You can not blame your guns on me." Levi tried to trip him up, mind already scrambling for anything to say, just to keep the piece of trash talking for a little while longer. His legs were already shaking and sweat was beading on his brow, but he couldn't call for Mike just yet. His teeth hurt from grinding them so tight, as the scumbag slapped him hard across the face without preamble, that stars were dancing in front of his eyes. He was still a few inches away from the knife handle to grab it and he wanted to curse himself for strapping it in such a stupid place, when his tummy still was wrecked with cramps from the pup he had lost. He just hadn’t known a better place to conceal it from Nile’s beady eyes.

"Who do you think you are, wanting to blackmail me with your own fucking bullshit, huh? You son of a whore, living in Titan territory, for all those years. Kenny should have aborted you, the second your heart made even a blib, instead of trying to fight his duties. You think you can hide behind Smith now? That cocksucker wouldn't even put up with a whore like you, let alone pay a dime for your useless ass to stay alive." Nile snapped, grabbing a fistful of the omega's ink black hair and forcing Levi to his knees, by kicking his legs to the side, so all of his body weight would tear at the roots of his hair, as he came face to face with the alpha's seedy pants. The blade of his own knife was digging dangerously close to his stomach, from where it was still lodged, as his knees folded under him.

Levi could feel his insides rolling, just from the smell and the greasy dirty floorboards, that were spreading their germs all over his hands, as he had tried to cushion his own fall. He struggled to get back up, but Nile easily kicked him again, right in the kidneys, so all air was rushing out of his lungs, as he shoved him back in position. Levi couldn't help but whimper on impact, trying to double over and deck out of the way, as Nile popped the button of his pants and pulled the zipper down, not even bothering to loosen his belt. The sound alone was enough to make vomit rise into Levi's mouth, which he spat right onto the alpha's shabby locking oxfords. It earned him a fist to his temple, because Nile was obviously getting agitated, rambling above, but Levi's ears were ringing too loud to understand a single word. He wanted out right this second.

Fuck!

It wasn't supposed to get that far and just the prospect of Nile's disgusting dick anywhere close to his face made panic rise. This plan had been stupid right from the get go.

"How about you do your job now, so I might even give you a dollar, as compensation for my troubles!" Nile hissed, pulling Levi's head back by his neck, dirty nails way too close to his bonding mark as he secured his grip, fingers digging in hard, which amplified the terror cursing through the omega's veins, as he got shoved face first into the alpha's seedy underwear. The grip on his neck, preventing him from fighting back.

Levi screamed, he wasn't even aware of it, but he was screaming motherfucking bloody murder, praying for Mike to make his fucking entree right then, or he would rather stab himself with that knife, that was pressing searingly close to his midsection.

Mike couldn’t understand what Nile was snarling, rustling and cracking disturbing the noise transfer to his headphones, before suddenly a blood curdling scream thundered through his headphones and without thinking twice, he pulled them off of his head and jumped to his feet, from where he had been crouching around the corner from the store, to get Levi the fuck out. 

The evidence that they hoped to acquire, was secondary now. The only thing that mattered was Levi getting out of there safe, otherwise Erwin would possibly have his balls for breakfast. Mike cursed himself for agreeing to this insanity, cursed himself for not including Erwin in this, because he would have been the voice of reason, preventing this mess. In the distance Mike could see Nile and as much as he would have loved to simply pull the trigger of his gun, it would have been too dangerous, so he rushed forward towards the backroom, hoping to get a better aim. If he pulled now, he might hurt Levi on accident, since the two bodies were moving frantically, the omega fighting the best he could against the alpha, who was trying to force him to submit to him. 

Didn’t that fuckhead know that a mated omega would never submit to anyone else, than their mate? 

If the situation wouldn’t have been this serious, Nile would have been a hilarious sight, battling a much smaller omega, with his limp dick hanging out and needing all his strength to keep him down, despite being an alpha. He was obviously urging Levi to take him into his mouth, as he was pawing at the bonding mark on the omega’s neck, scratching and clawing with blunt fingernails, tearing the skin and leaving bruises, in an attempt to scratch Erwin’s mark off of the pale neck.

It was indeed possible to just tear a bonding mark away, but every little kid learned that this was the most respectless and challenging thing another alpha could do, to challenge another alpha and the dumbest, regarding Nile and Erwin in terms of their physical prowess. 

With his action Nile made the mistake of alarming Erwin through their bond. Mike would bet his mustache that the other alpha broke his promise to wait inside the car, the moment he felt the scratches and tearing on Levi’s bonding mark, with the same intensity, as if Nile was clawing at the alpha’s neck instead. 

Nevertheless, not even a panicked anger driven alpha could be this fast, so Mike increased his efforts, his complete focus on the smaller alpha just mere meters in front of him, still oblivious to his presence. 

Levi let out another shattering scream, as he saw Mike sprinting towards them. Nile was too occupied to notice Mike, while he tried to make the little omega beneath him shut up, his dick hanging uselessly between his legs, quite small for an alpha cock and now gone completely soft, due to all the stress and aggravation, despite still being adamant at making Levi bow down to him and take it. 

When Nile turned around to see, why Levi was wailing almost to urge someone on, he had one second to be surprised about seeing Mike, instead of Erwin sprinting up to him, before Mike whacked the heavy metal of his gun directly over his skull and kicked him in the face with his knee. Nile crumbled down, spitting blood. With a shocked expression on his face, Nile looked down at the red coating his hands and ruining his cheap suit, eyes fixated on a tooth that was now missing from his ugly mug.

Childish anger was written in Nile’s face, as he was unable to understand when was the best time to call it quits and give up. Like a pampered brat, that was too dumb to understand the word “No!”. 

In a fit of rage he rose up to give Mike back as best as he could, which was not much and Mike caught the pitiful punch easily, grabbing onto Niles arm and twisting it back, forcing the alpha to turn around, before squishing him to the ground. 

Mike pushed Nile down with his full body weight, it was a miracle that the other alpha’s bones weren’t cracking like sticks beneath his bulk. Mike wanted him to know how it felt like to be pushed down by someone much stronger and heavier, left with no means of defence and being completely at someone's mercy. Nile should know first hand how he made countless omega’s feel, as he exploited them. 

Levi scrambled away from the two fighting alpha’s as fast as he could, eyes darting through the room, searching, until his eyes focused on the backdoor. The shop owner Mike had paid no mind to, as he stormed through like a mad man must have called for help.

There was a brown haired teen, standing at the back door with a gun in his hand, the safety was still on, that much Levi could tell, despite being way too confused and in pain, but he knew it would only take a few seconds to shoot Mike dead on. He locked eyes, with the teenager, who seemed amused and almost bored, as he watched Nile's feeble attempts to push the much bigger alpha of. He paid no mind to Levi, which gave the omega the chance, to finally unfasten the knife he was carrying, ignoring the blood coating the blade, as he stumble forward, so the obvious Titan gang member - his tattooed sleeve gave him away, since it was covered in Titan insignia - had no free range, to point his gun at Mike. 

Levi didn't know if he was facing an alpha, his nose had all but clocked up, dripping blood onto the seedy floor, from where Nile had pummeled his face just moments ago. His hands were shaking and he couldn't possibly do much damage with the knife in his hands, given his state, but the young guy didn't even feel threatened by it all.

"You are bleeding." The teen said matter of factly, pointing to the omega's stomach, as Mike kept Nile down, hissing at him to: "Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit!"

Levi didn't tag along, it could be a ruse to distract him, he might as well face the bullet head on, if it meant keeping Mike out of harm's way.

"And you are very much dead, if you touch either of them!" Erwin's deep alpha voice threatened, as he joined the disaster.

No way in hell could he kept sitting through the pain of someone trying to unmark his mate. 

The teen gave Erwin a lopsided grin, waving his gun towards Nile almost in invitation, as he leaned in the doorway.

"I have no intentions, but I know my boss will be very much interested in the proceedings." He said, almost yawning. "Also, Nile you suck, dude!" He added on smugly.

"EREN!" The brown haired alpha snarled, but couldn't say much more, because Erwin had taken the invitation and parked his foot right in Nile's mouth, with a roundhouse kick. There probably weren't much teeth left by now, if the wail that followed was anything to go by.

"Shut, the fuck, up!" Erwin emphasized, towering over Nile's pinned down body. "This is for touching my fucking omega, you useless son of a bitch. I swear to god, there's more waiting for you, if I wouldn't be a civilized person." He spat on the alpha, despite his good upbringing, just for good measure.

Erwin wanted to tear Nile apart limb by limb, rip his fucking throat open and he hadn't even seen his limp dick, that was squashed under him, by Mike.

The dirty blonde alpha held down Nile easily, as he called the cops on his ass, nodding towards Levi, to tell Erwin to take care of his omega instead.

"That got you good." The Eren guy laughed, as he turned around and left them to their business. "Have fun with the cops you greedy looser." The teen said smugly, almost making a comical bow towards the other alphas in the room, as he walked out of the back, with his nose held high. His departure followed by the squealing of a motorbike, as the gang member took off, while the police sirens were closing in on them.

Levi watched him leave, his head scrambling to take it all in. The moment he saw the back of the teen, his legs gave out and he crumbled to his knees, holding his head in his hands. His head hurt and he felt dizzy, his neck ached and he threw up again, at the sight of blood on his hoodie. 

"Levi!" Erwin rushed to his omegas side, before he could meet the floor, assessing the damage on his mate worriedly.

Levi whimpered at the touch. He was way too dirty to be held by his alpha. His fingers kept rubbing angrily at his torn bonding mark, feeling the first signs of loss and emptiness. Nile hadn't managed to scratch it off entirely, but damaged it enough, that his bond felt shaky. He couldn't really feel what Erwin was thinking. He couldn't smell him either, his nose was probably broken and that made him panic. Erwin tried to pry his fingers off of the bonding mark, to keep him from hurting himself further, while taking a sneak peek under the side of his hoodie. There was a nasty cut along Levi's hipbone, but it wasn't as deep, as Erwin feared. The bleeding was already tapering off, nothing Hanji couldn't take care of, even if Erwin despised returning to the ER of the omega house, so soon, again.

The police arrived moments later, as Erwin cradled Levi to his chest protectively. 

Erwin and Mike told the police officer everything and answered every question dutifully, although with slightly modified answers in their favor. They didn’t need to know that they weren’t completely driven by self defense, but mere hatred at one point. But the police officer questioning them, a fellow alpha and former colleague of Mike, didn’t even question Nile’s severe injuries. Instead the officer completely bought the story of the poor omega, who simply wanted to buy some ginger tea in the shop, because he felt sick due to his pregnancy. But then the crazy alpha came up and attacked him and even killed his pub during his assault. The severe bleeding that came from Levi’s hip – the officer didn’t need to know that and was not authorized to check up on another alpha’s omega this close, without permission – supported their case by lack of further evidence. It didn’t take long until Nile was escorted out in handcuffs, but probably also taken to some hospital to treat his injuries. After all, that man barely had a tooth left in his mouth. 

While telling the tale, Erwin occasionally nuzzled his omega’s neck lovingly, not only for show, but mainly to soothe Levi, who was still trembling in his arms, perfectly looking like a cute frightened kitten, who couldn’t harm a fly. The shop owner was so scared of the two big alphas, that he had chosen the healthy option and kept his mouth shut, as well as never ever letting someone like Nile do shady business in his shop again. 

“We were lucky that this was just Oluo taking the shift today.” Mike pointed out, after the police officers had left. “He is quite young and I saved his ass during his training days a few times, so I guess he owes me.”

Erwin only hummed absentmindedly, still busy kissing the bonding mark of his mate to strengthen their bond, fighting the urge to renew the bonding right on the spot. Levi tried to lean away whimpering, but gave up soon at Erwin’s relentless ministrations. 

The alpha refused to let Levi go, not being able to feel his omega through their bond as strongly as before, made him feel incomplete. With what just happened, being touched by another alpha in such a violating manner, possibly must leave Levi feeling inadequate, dirty and not good enough. So Erwin kept on crooning reassuringly, trying to channel as much love, as he could through the remainder of their bond, hoping any of his feelings for Levi would reach his mate. 

“Young? Who are you shitting? He looks like he’s 50.” Levi mumbled with a weak voice, exhausted and still shivering, but trying his best to not let himself be eaten up by fear and self-doubt. 

“He’s 19.” Mike added.

“No fucking way!” Erwin scoffed.

The three of them chuckled at that, still not believing that despite the plan not working, they made it out alive and with Nile being taken away by the police.

Mike drove them silently to the ER of the omega house, so Hanji could check up on Levi’s injuries. The drive was quiet, no one saying a word. Mike kept his eyes on the road, driving Erwin’s car steadily through the streets, while Erwin sat in the backseat next to Levi, who looked out of the window absentmindedly. The omega was probably pissed, that his exclamations, that he was fine and this was nothing but a scratch, had fallen on deaf ears. It was obvious that he didn’t want to return to the omega house. No matter how often Erwin assured him, that it was only for a brief check up and that they would go home immediately the moment they were done. After studying the stoic expression of his mate for a while, Erwin turned his head away from Levi, to watch the streets pass them by too, his blue eyes following the yellow lights of the lanterns, that illuminated the streets. 

As much as he hated not feeling his mate as strongly as before, he hadn’t even noticed how closely he had been able to pick up on Levi’s emotions, until the connection was suddenly missing. Having been torn away from him, by the dirty claws of an animal, he was glad that Levi couldn’t feel his anger seeping through his veins. He was still riled up from the encounter with Nile. Kicking out his teeth hadn’t been enough retaliation for what the fucker wanted to force his mate into. He wanted to tear him apart with his bare hands for tainting his bond with Levi, but he composed himself, otherwise not even a friendly face like Oluo would have been able to feign the reports in their favor. 

Despite that, Erwin was also angry with Levi for coming up with a dangerous plan like that and even angrier at Mike for agreeing to this insanity, instead of informing him. He could have prevented it and now his bond was almost ruined, his mate in fear and the other alpha confronted with demons from his own past, he never wanted to cross paths with again.

‘He is doing this for you.’

Mike’s words to him, just prior to the execution of that failure of a plan, tumbled back and forth in Erwin’s head. 

Had Levi really done this for him? 

What had he been hoping to accomplish with a reckless action like that? 

Didn’t he feel safe enough with him? 

Was he not enough of an alpha to protect his mate? 

Apparently he wasn’t or his omega wouldn’t be sitting next to him, bleeding through his clothes and soiling the blanket beneath him, not even gracing him with a look, despite the alpha’s previous attempts at soothing him. Maybe he wasn’t good enough for Levi after all.

Levi kept staring blankly out of the window, unseeing and passive to the city speeding by, fingers clenching the blanket he was sitting on so tightly, his knuckles were turning white. He didn't know what to think anymore.The moment he tried, his head would be assaulted by a violent pain, like his brain was desperately trying to unearth the box of pandora, throw it around, until it would be all emptied out and have a fucking party with its contents, while at it.

The moment Erwin had stopped pawing at him, almost felt like relief, but got quickly replaced by the vast emptiness he had been feeling before. It felt like he was suddenly all alone in this world, with no roots to anchor him down, nowhere to go and certainly nowhere he had come from. 

Hanji's concerned bubbling, upon their arrival, didn't even make him protest, time just seemed to slip by, as he was fussed over, patched and drugged up nicely, wrapped tightly in a fresh blanket from Erwin's car, while Mike drove them back home. The blanket helped with the crawling feeling of hands all over him, but he was still dirty, his clothes still possibly smelled rank and he was just overall a disgusting pile of trash, sitting in Erwin's lap.

The only normal thing was the faint echo of the alpha's heartbeat. 

He was probably in shock, he remembered Hanji saying something like this, from very far away.

While the drugs helped with the pain, the numbness was only making him feel worse. There was a huge band aid on his neck and he could still feel the sting of the disinfect they had doused him with. He remembered seeing needles and scissors and Mike and Erwin talking above him, but it felt like this was happening to someone else. 

He had faintly registered questions, but he didn't feel obligated to answer them, nothing made sense at that moment and he was way too busy trying to get his brain to stop digging.

It was like a tugging sensation. He was aware of his thoughts going a mile a minute picking himself apart, questions, quotations... it all swirled into one big mush. 

Kenny's nasty little voice wasn't running a commentary, thank fuck, but the experience was otherworldly. He knew he should probably stop, he should be aware of his surroundings, and he kind of was. At least his alpha had yet to comment on the 1000 yard stare, he was possibly sporting.

There was footage of him as a kid, videos Nile had seen. Videos Nile might even have sold. There were possibly 100 people or more, considering Nile might as well have posted it to the internet somehow. Strangers, who didn't know him, who had seen this. 

This part of himself, he didn't even know existed. 

He had never questioned his patchy memories, or why he did things a certain way. Why he hated certain noises or why he avoided certain situations. He just always thought he was anxious. But Nile's words were spinning around and around, rattling a can of worms, Levi was too scared to touch. Afraid it might burst, but he couldn't look away, was almost hypnotized by it. 

When Erwin gently picked him up to get out of the car his whole body shuddered. The alpha carried him right through to his bathroom - Levi's room - room he wasn't sure he was allowed to have. 

It felt like the Levi, who had left this morning, was an entirely different person, to the Levi who was carried home, by his alpha just about now.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we are slowly making our way into that De-aging/Age regression tagg. I therefore conviscate every stone, so you can't throw them at me. I rather take hugs as punishment. Thank you- Also we surpassed 100k words - next update therefore should be in 2 weeks. So you guys have some time to catch up and celebrate with us.

Erwin gently rinsed Levi down in the shower, before letting his omega sit in the hot bathtub. Hanji had assured him that the glue would help with the surface cut and had given them plenty of badges and bandaids, knowing fully well that the omega needed a thorough bath, right after coming home. Thankfully the omega’s nose had only been bruised up and some vein busted due to the impact, nothing to worry about in the long run, but it had made for a bloody scene nonetheless. But the longer Levi kept silent, the more Erwin got worried. 

Mike had to excuse himself to hurry home to his Nana, which left the alpha all by himself with his omega and little to no information, what had happened in the backroom of that dingy shop. It wasn’t his place to pry and it felt wrong to ask Mike for pointers. He assumed Levi would tell him in his own time.

"Levi." The alpha crooned softly, but the omega didn't even bat an eye. It was a scary look, on his otherwise snarky mate and even if Levi was in shock, he probably shouldn't be this shaken up, to the point that he lost his words. It had been his own plan after all, even though it kinda backfired. Erwin tried to draw him out with gentle praise and phrases, because the longer this went on, the more concerning it got.

Erwin washed his inky hair and took his sweet time in bathing his mate, making sure there was no grime under Levi's fingernails, before passing him the washcloth to let him clean his privates by himself. It didn't seem like a good idea to initiate intimate touch after all that had transpired, even if Erwin could merrily guess at this point.

Levi held on to the washcloth, confused as to what his mate expected him to do. He let the bubbles and the water fill it up and watched it drip right through, splashing back into the bathwater. Erwin observed him silently, trying to figure out the best plan of action, when it hit him straight into the face.

He hadn't taken into account that Levi might have dropped during the encounter, considering his unusual behaviour. 

The alpha had been worried, his mate would start scrubbing himself raw violently, the second he got his hands on the terry, but Levi simply played with it, as if not knowing what he was supposed to do.

Erwin sighed heavily, he wanted to kill Nile all over again.

He considered his mate for a minute, the water was getting colder and Levi was not clean yet, still toying with the terry instead of using it. 

“Don’t you want to clean yourself, before the water gets cold?” He tried.

Levi only looked at him with a puzzled expression, his eyes darting between Erwin kneeling next to the bathtub and the terry in his hands, as he tried to make sense of the meaning of the words. For a start Erwin was happy that he at least caught his attention, so he made a faint gesture to the terry and Levi’s lower body regions. 

“You use it to clean all of your body.” Erwin explained slowly, noticing how utterly terrible he was at this. Since Levi was now looking down onto his crotch, as if it was something foreign and weird. Suddenly Levi threw the cloth back into the water, letting out an uncomfortable shriek and was shaking his head furiously, shooting tiny drops of water through the entire room. Patiently Erwin picked the terry out of the water and offered it out to Levi, who squeezed his eyes shut in protest. 

He seemed to be overwhelmed with the task and not quite understanding what he was supposed to do with it, aside from playing with it like a child. 

“Do you want me to help you clean up?” Erwin’s voice was level and gentle, while he waited for his mate’s reaction. He didn’t mind the soapy suds of water that kept soaking the cuff of his rolled up button down.

With a hesitating nod Levi accepted the offer and only flinched briefly, as Erwin put back the terry into his omega’s hands and put his own bigger hand over the smaller one, to guide the movements. He showed his omega, how he was supposed to clean himself properly, crooning at him in an encouraging manner.

“Such a good boy for me. Let’s get you out of here, before we catch a cold.” Erwin praised him, offering Levi a big soft towel, the moment he stepped out, rubbing him dry with gentle and slow motions, not wanting to startle him even more. 

His mouth dried up as he wondered, if this was still considered a state of shock, or if this could become something permanent and possibly sinister. No matter how much he loved to spoil his omega, how much he adored his sweet boy, he wanted Levi back. 

His Levi, the bratty feisty whirlwind, that messed up his world so perfectly and he would not, could not, let Nile take that away from him. 

Just as Erwin toweled him dry and picked him up, to carry him to their safe room, thinking that he might as well read him another fairytale, as a bedtime story to help ease his mind. Maybe it would improve his state by recreating a safe and familiar environment.

Levi was still looking up at him with scared eyes. 

“Did you buy me, sir?” he asked in a small voice, startling Erwin completely.

The alpha didn’t know what to say, stunned by the strange question, that hit him out of the blue. 

“Uncle Kenny always said that he would sell me, if I was bad. So did you buy me, sir? Have I been a bad boy?” Gray eyes still stared at him intently, as Erwin tried to put some sense into what happened. Apparently Levi's mind had been thrown back into the past.

Mike had mentioned it at some point, back in the days - after one of the classes he took to help Nana adjust to her new environment of living with him. This might happen to deeply traumatized individuals, as some kind of a coping mechanism. It was deeply confusing, but also an opportunity to find out what had happened to his mate. 

“Why would uncle Kenny want to sell you?” he inquired, keeping his voice low and gentle, to appear less threatening, since a big alpha male must be terrifying in the mind of a little omega child. 

“That’s what happens to omegas, if they aren’t any good.” Levi explained, as if this was the most logical thing in the world. Erwin chose not to answer to that old fashioned prejudice, that must have been installed into Levi from the start. 

The alpha was lost for words and unsure how to handle the situation. When they finally arrived in the safe room, Levi squirmed at the sight of the king sized bed, whimpering in fear. But he was too afraid to protest, clinging to the alpha and hiding his face in the others neck. 

“Kenny is not here anymore.” Erwin mumbled, as he sat them down on the bed and shuffled them into position, pulling Levi close to him, just like the night before the plan, as he had read to him, before reaching out to take the very same old book of fairytales into his hand. 

While Levi was preoccupied with understanding the meaning of Erwin’s statement, the alpha flipped through the pages, unsure if he should choose a new tale or a familiar one.

“So you are sharing with Kenny? Going to bring me back once you are done?" Levi stated bluntly, as he hugged his knees, not caring anymore for whatever that strange alpha wanted to do to him. 

He looked like he just mentally concluded his life, as if it was over for him now anyways and the omega looked so broken in his arms, like a toy, that got tossed away unloved, because it didn’t function properly. 

“At least you smell nice.” With a small yawn Levi leaned back against the broad frame behind him, curling up against the alpha, as he nosed him timidly, the scent still familiar due to their bond, despite the omega not remembering anything. “Why are you so kind, sir?” he mumbled in the juncture of the alpha’s neck.

Letting out a deep sigh, Erwin gave up on trying to read Levi a story and did put the book back on the nightstand again, instead he enveloped the small omega in his arms and crooned back at him.

“Because you are very special to me, Levi, and I love you.” 

Levi let out another yawn and snuggled up closer to the alpha. Erwin flinched, when he suddenly felt a small hand wander up his thighs directly aiming for his crotch, but he caught the fingers swiftly in his own, bringing their hands to his face and kissing the fingertips softly. Levi closed his eyes at the contact and Erwin snuggled up even closer. It seemed that his familiar scent lulled his omega to sleep for a while, although the smaller body was unnaturally stiff in his arms, as if he was still frightened of what was about to come. 

Just as Erwin was about to rest his own eyes and try to find some sleep, Levi’s words made his stomach churn and suddenly he knew what Kenny had done to him, when he was younger. What exactly that bastard had used to threaten the young omega with and why Levi thought that an omega was not good for anything else than taking an alpha’s knot. Why he looked so scared, when Erwin had carried him to the bed. While Levi had almost begged the alpha with a tear strained voice. “You can put it in, sir. Please, I want to be good, don’t make me go back to him.” The realisation alone made him feel sick to his stomach.

Levi woke a short while later, startling up from his unsettling dreams. He was still lying on Erwin's chest, the alpha finally asleep and he tried not to wake him, as he slowly rolled off, hands desperately locked around a plushy, that seemed really important to him, even though he didn’t recall why, so he didn't dare to discard it. 

Reality was still a wrapped thing to him, like he was watching from the bottom of a 7 foot deep tank full of water. Stuff hardly made sense and in a very far corner of his mind he wondered, if he had finally gone insane, after all those years. All he could really do was sit back and wait for the world to turn into the right direction again, because for the time being, he didn't really feel in control of himself, of his thoughts, or even his actions. 

He didn't want the alpha to wake up and get angry at him, for not staying put. 

Kenny had always implemented what he had to do as told, no questions asked, but here he was sitting up on the soft mattress without permission.

He took stock of his body, nothing felt icky, which was a small relief, he didn't smell like a cumdumpster, just sweaty all over. His body ached and there were bandaids covering his neck and his hip. Nothing he couldn't pull through, he had had worse from Kenny's vicious beatings. 

Despite his confusion he was on high alert. The draft from the air conditioner made him shiver, as he looked around in the semi dark room. He tried to get up and get away from the alpha, but something was holding him back from making a run for it. There was a certain pull he couldn't explain, that kept him in here. Like his body knew, that the alpha on the bed was different from the other clients and friends of Kenny.

The aircon made a hissing noise, which startled him so badly, he fell right out of the bed in a graceless heap. There was a sudden panic surging in his veins, his brain adamant, that he had just heard the whirring of a camera. His eyes kept scanning the room frantically, for the tell tale little red recording light, but came up empty.

The Cameras were bad, they meant punishments, they meant pain, observation and settings, that made his skin crawl. He wanted to hide away from the imaginary prying eyes. He hated having his photo taken, hated the evidence - the manifest of what he so desperately tried to forget and escape from. He hated that it was enough to make Kenny's pennies.

The omega spotted a stack of blankets on the armchair in the corner, crawling over and ripping them down. If he could hide, the camera wouldn't see him and the bad guys won't find him, he kept telling himself. 

Nothing ever good happened, when the camera was on.

He made himself a nest under said armchair, sneaking the unused pillows from his side of the bed, to stuff them under there and up against the wall, draping the throw from the end of the bed, over the chair for extra coverage. He paused, observing the still silent alpha, before crawling under the cramped space between the chairs legs, rolling himself up like a kicked dog. Everything was better, if you don't look at it, his mother used to say. He had heard Kenny mutter about it at some point.

The room was silent again, except for his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears and the rustling of the blankets around him. It was way colder in the corner of the room all by himself, so he snuggled in deeper. He still felt tired, but couldn't fall back to sleep, too scared of the nightmares. Instead he waited for the tell tale sound of a doorbell, a phone ringing or approaching footsteps in heavy work boots, but nothing happened. Kenny and his friends were not coming for him.

There was a faint trail of light in the next room, he could peek at through the throw, that became brighter as the sun went up, but other than that, time held no meaning. His eyes kept dropping, despite his struggles to stay awake and eventually he fell back asleep, with his plushy clutched tightly to his chest. Bony knees pressed tightly up against his chest and head bowed.

Maybe the alpha would think he had gone, when he woke up, at least that was his last coherent thought, before the dreamland swamped him away. He dreamed about the blond alpha, about times long passed and when he woke again, he was still scared as all hell, but less confused. 

He knew that the blond alpha was Erwin, his mate. He knew Kenny was gone and never coming back. The next thing he realized with shocking detail, was that he had messed himself up even more than he realized, because the telltale wet feeling under him, seeped into his skin and bones, bringing with it a tide of shame and guilt. For a second he was grateful his nose was way too clocked up with tear residue to smell anything. He could feel the bruised skin under his eyes throb, as he pressed his fists against them, biting his lip so hard, that he tasted blood, just to keep the sob from escaping his throat.

It was gross, he was gross. This hadn't happened in forever. Not since Kenny was dead, at least.

Levi tried to move away from the wet spot, but there was not much room left, unless he would come out of his hiding place. He wanted a shower, he wanted scalding hot water and he wanted Erwin, but he was way too embarrassed to move. The omega peeked through the throw, seeing the bedroom lit, hoping, that maybe Erwin was already up and had gone to work.

He didn't know what to say, if the alpha confronted him. He refused to acknowledge what had happened yesterday, afraid it would throw him back into losing his marbles. He was good at suppressing things. He had forgotten all about it, up until Nile had opened his disgusting trap, so he could do it all over again. He had to, even if just to keep himself sane.

The longer Levi kept lying there in his soiled PJs, the more revolting he felt. He was failing at basic human functions. What the fuck was wrong with him?

When Erwin woke up, the first thing he noticed was that Levi had already left the bed, but he couldn’t hear any cluttering in the apartment, indicating the omegas' whereabouts. The second thing he noticed was that his feet were unusually cold, due to the missing throw at the end of the bed. Looking around the room, his eyes fell onto the chair in the corner of the room, which had transformed into some sort of pillow fort castle overnight, like one of those, he used to build as a child, to have a private space just for himself. His own kingdom filled with pillows. 

Careful to not make loud startling noises, he tiptoed to the omega’s nest and kneeled down in front of it, prying the blankets to the side, so he could take a look inside. Levi was indeed in there, curled up in the ridiculous small space, between the legs of the armchair and the walls, still sleeping soundly, at least it appeared this way. 

Erwin decided to leave him be for the moment, not sure how much he would remember, when he woke up and the alpha went on to mind his own business, preparing for the day. Around an hour later, he was fixing up his clothes for the office and actually looked forward to the day, since the news of Nile’s unfortunate absence must have reached the rumor mill by now. It was likely that his own or Levi’s name were not associated with the incident, since the police was under no obligation to tell the victims name. Of course Erwin was fully prepared with a “he attacked my mate” story regardless, although he wouldn’t want to relive the experience. He would prefer to sit back and enjoy how Nile’s business opportunities were torn apart, shattering any future perspective for the alpha.

Before leaving for work, he went to peek through the door, seeing that Levi still hadn’t come out yet. He contemplated, if it was rude to just leave, or to bother his mate’s sleep by saying goodbye. 

Speaking from experience, both actions held the possibility to increase his mate’s panic. Erwin chose to check on Levi one more time, for his own sanity and would decide whether or not to wake him, when he saw him. Nevertheless the alpha found himself praying, that he was still sleeping safe and sound in this weird, but adorable setup, despite the smell of distress and something else, he couldn’t immediately identify, tingling in his nose.

As he pried the sheets apart again, the stench suddenly hit his face in full force. 

His eyes immediately met gray eyes filled with tears, the omega quivering in shame on the ground in his own piss for god knows how long. It was no use contemplating, if this was only an hour old, which was bad enough, or if Erwin had failed to notice it before, because it had been still fresh and Levi had been looking so peacefully asleep. 

Levi whimpered and shuffled away from the alpha, his face flushed pink with shame and tears, as he hid his face behind his hands, afraid that his alpha would pull him out of his hiding space and beat the shit out of him, for being such a disgusting mess. 

This was probably what Kenny would have done – actually had done – to Levi and Erwin couldn’t be sure, if Levi remembered that Erwin wasn’t like that, especially regarding their weakened bond. 

“This is a very nice pillow fort you have there, Levi.” Erwin decided to approach him.

The way Levi cowered and looked at him, from behind his fingers, he noticed that Levi seemed to recognize him at least, despite still being in some sort of a childish mindset. 

He heard about it from Mike, that it could be called a ‘little mindset’, which can be implemented as some sort of roleplay in a sexual, or nonsexual manner, but also be a coping mechanism for trauma, especially when a person desperately doesn’t want to remember and confront what had happened. Apparently Levi had overwhelmed himself with his grand plan, with what he wanted to do for his alpha and now had to suffer the consequences. Seeing Levi in such a state, made guilt gnaw at Erwin’s insides, since it was his fault, that he hadn’t questioned it any further and had made sure his omega would be safe. 

“Do you know who I am?” Erwind dared to ask once more in the most gentle manner, he was capable of.

Levi moved his arms down a little, as he nodded timidly, still cowered away, but thankfully noticing, that the alpha in front of him – his alpha – would not tear him away from his nest by force. Erwin was at loss of what to say, since he was no expert on the matter, so he waited for Levi to sort out his own thoughts for a while. The omega was squirming and shuffling around uncomfortably. 

Erwin wondered how it was even possible to breathe down there. Just sitting in front of the pillow fort, he noticed the air was warm and sticky, heavy with the disgusting stench, that was probably unbearable for a clean loving creature like Levi. Although in his child state, he was not nearly as bothered by it, as he would have been as an adult. Which in turn was enough of a sign, to confirm to Erwin, that something similar must have happened before.

With a sigh Erwin thought about what he could do. There was no way he could leave Levi all by himself in this state, considering the time, he was already late for his own means, since he had a meeting later that day, for which he wanted to prepare in the morning. 

Thankfully he had his notes and the presentation already finished, because unlike other coworkers, he was good at working ahead, still he liked to recheck everything, being the controlling workaholic he was. Aside from that, he would have never been able to leave Levi in a state like this, despite how difficult it was for him to handle the situation. 

He would never admit, how afraid he actually was to fuck up and lose his mate all over again, after all they have been through. His mind was completely useless, apart from the fact, that he needed Levi to come out of his nest, without scaring him further. 

Finally an idea struck him, so he proceeded to suggest in his most gentle voice, that he could manage with his inner turmoil and the given circumstances. 

“How about we get you out of there, take a bath and clean everything up nicely and then we can build you a new pillow fort? Would you like that, Levi?”

Levi considered the alpha's offer silently, his eyes still big as plates. He was ashamed that Erwin had to see him like this. He wished he could have somehow hidden all evidence of his own misfortune. Erwin wasn't yelling, he wasn't angry, wasn't tugging him out with a vice like grip around his ankle to throw him into the next wall head first. He wasn't ranting about ruined pillows, blankets and hardwood floors, or raving about Levi being useless, worthless and fucking pitiful. 

If anything he looked calm and collected as ever, maybe a little saddened if anything, a gentle warmth surrounding his nature and intentions.

He didn't make a move to indicate Levi would be in for it. Getting clean sounded amazing, no matter how fucking pathetic he was. Erwin patiently waited for him to answer, the smell must be making him gag, since alpha's had a better sense of smell than omega's, but he didn't even bat an eye. He kept crouching in front of his mate’s nest, in his fresh pressed neat office suit, that Levi had probably ruined with his stench alone. 

Maybe he even was making the alpha late for work, since he looked pretty much ready to go.

Levi balled his hands up, rubbing at his teary eyes, afraid he would start wailing again at any second, as he gave a small nod of his head. He was already so sorry for being such a nuisance to his alpha. Such a pathetic excuse of a human being. 

"Alright. Would you like a shower or a bath?" Erwin asked gently, but Levi didn't feel strong enough to make any decisions. He appreciated Erwin's options, the man obviously meant it good, but even something simple like that was overwhelming him, scrambling his already scrambled brain up further.

"I don't know, daddy." Levi whispered tearily, looking at him through his hands, that were still covering his red embarrassed face. Erwin took it in stride, he made a soft sound in the back of his throat, one Levi had never heard before.

"That's okay darling. We can give you a nice throughout bubble bath." Erwin reassured him, offering out his hand for the omega, to climb out of his nest. Levi hesitated, afraid to get Erwin all dirty and icky.

"But your suit. I'm all dirty." He protested weakly, looking longingly at the alpha's palm.

"Don't worry about it." Erwin rejected, still holding his palm out, to help Levi out of there. He could hardly comprehend how the omega had managed to get down there, without breaking his back in the process.

Levi slowly shuffled forward feeling the wet cotton stuck and shift between his thighs, which made him flinch hard. He felt itchy all over and the fresh wave of eau de piss made him bang his head on the underside of the chair, as he struggled to get away from it, finally taking a hold of Erwin's offered hand, to let the alpha pull him out the rest of the way.

Erwin helped his mate to his feet, soothing a hand over his head, where he had banged it just seconds ago. It probably hurt him, if the hissing sound was anything to go by. 

Levi awkwardly shuffled forward on his bare feet, following Erwin to the ensuite, because it was the closest and still warm, from the alpha's own shower. 

Erwin filled the tub, poured in one of the bubble bath bombs he had bought, back when Levi had been still living with Mike and Nana temporarily, as he helped the omega strip out of the soiled garments, before letting him sit in the rising water. He turned on the softest water jets of his whirlpool for Levi, to help ease his cramped up muscles. The omega made a small sound of surprise at the extra bubbles, hand diving under water to chase the source of the gentle waves. 

Erwin waited for the tub to fill, before shutting off the tap, instructing Levi to take his sweet time, while he picked up the piss drenched clothes to put them in the wash, along with the blankets and pillows. He worked quickly and efficiently, mopping the hardwood floor, that thankfully hadn't really suffered any collateral damage. He had to smile to himself for a second, as he realized that taking baths might soon become one of Levi’s favourite part time activities, considering how often the raven had been sitting in his luxurious bathtub already.

He prepared tea and breakfast for his omega, while he was at it, as well as put up a new cuddle fort on the bed in Levi's own room, including a makeshift mattress protector out of a bunch of towels for now, just in case shall there be any new accidents, which he hoped wouldn't. In his room the omega would be able to pass time watching Youtube or Netflix, if he so wished, he made sure the plushy was unharmed by the omega's misheap and tucked in safely along with the turtle shaped hot-water bottle to warm up the blankets piled on top.

He picked out Levi's Marvel PJ bottoms combined with one of his own sweaters, which was the warmest and softest clothing item he possessed and a set of extra fluffy socks, before returning to the bathroom swiftly. Levi was still fascinated with the bubbles and water jets, but had made an attempt to wash himself, if the terry floating in the water was any indication. 

"Good job." The alpha praised him, smiling softly at the blush that crept upon the omega’s pale cheeks.

Levi gestured helplessly to the soaked bandages, unsure if he was allowed to pull them off. Erwin ripped them off swiftly, blowing a raspberry in apology onto the red tinted skin and apologizing for the pain he had caused, while Levi shrieked in surprise.

Erwin washed his hair gently, letting Levi splash around some more. He had set out Levi's medication with an uneasy feeling, not sure if the omega would appreciate being more drugged up, but the meeting was important and he wanted Levi to be comfortable and not mad at him for leaving temporarily.

Levi glanced over Erwin's shoulder at the alarm clock on the alpha's bedside table, recognizing the time. He stumbled up, ready to jump out of the water to not make Erwin run any more late and almost slipped.

"Easy my sweet prince, take your time."

"But late." Levi whispered ashamed, his eyes dropping to the floor in apparent distress.

“I was up early, so there is no rush.” Erwin reassured Levi again, holding the terry out to him with a gentle smile, as the omega settled back into the water. Levi looked down at the terry in his hands for a moment, before shaking his head in denial. 

“No, want out.” He mumbled and rose on shaky limbs, feeling a little bit dizzy from the warm water. 

“Careful, sweet boy.” The moment Erwin saw his omega’s legs wobble, he reached out to catch him with the towel and lift him into his arms, so he could dry him up. He had already laid out the comfortable clothes for Levi to wear. His omega looked just as adorable in them, as Erwin had hoped he would. Even more so, especially since the sweater reached well over his behind, covering most of his thighs and the sleeves being so long, that Levi could hide his delicate hands inside of them easily, with extra material to hold onto included. 

Despite how cute it looked, Erwin felt ashamed that he wasn’t able to provide his mate immediately with a fitting pair of pajamas, but ever since Levi had prefered to sleep either in one of Erwin’s Henleys or possibly naked, as far as the alpha could tell, not complaining once, or saying anything, while they had been shopping for essentials a few weeks ago. There hadn’t been any new packages delivered from Amazon either and each day Levi had been content in running around in Erwin’s old well worn clothes.

He prayed that his own lingering smell on the clothes would comfort and not distress him further. Levi just stood there, looking up at him expectantly, small hands fumbling at the hem of the sweater, as he waited for whatever happened next. He didn’t look directly at Erwin, avoiding the blue gaze regarding him with so much love, his eyes darting through the room, until they fell onto the medication, which was set out in preparation, on the counter next to the sink.

“You don’t have to take them if you don’t want to.” Erwin said, as he followed Levi’s gaze. 

His omega shook his head weakly, before shuffling over and reaching out to take one of the pills, chugging it down with water unceremoniously. 

“It’s fine, they help… n’ make me tired.” Levi mumbled, as he set the glass down again and held his arms out for Erwin to pick him up again. 

The alpha complied gladly and let out a small sigh, at how right it felt to have his mate this close again, his breath tickling his neck slightly. Levi nuzzled against him, head resting on the broad shoulder, as he held onto his mate. Erwin almost overheard the whimpered “They are the only thing that make being apart from you bearable.”, but chose to not comment on it, stroking through Levi’s hair affectionately. When they reached Levi’s own room, he shifted the omega in his arms and he cleared his throat to get his mate’s attention, so he would look at his creation. 

Built from probably all the pillows and blankets he could find, stood an impressive pillow fort in the middle of the room, reaching from the bed, to the armchair near the omega’s desk, which at least provided more room, than the one in their safe space, so Levi could still curl up beneath this one, just in case he felt like it, but didn’t necessarily have to.

“Do you like it?”

Erwin could barely finish the question, when Levi started squirming in his secure grasp, eyes transfixed on the pillows and plushies that covered the ground inside the pillow fort. Kneeling down and feeling like a grandpa, as one of his knees cracked, the alpha set the omega down, who immediately scrambled to bury himself inside the nest. Levi proceeded to squish the life out of his favorite plushie, which was apparently the big pastel rainbow colored lama Erwin bought for him at their first trip to the mall, that Erwin remembered fondly. He was glad that Levi seemed to take so easily, to what Erwin had just created for him from scratch. Although the alpha felt a little bit tossed aside, having trouble containing the warm feeling, that bubbled up in his chest, as he watched his omega tumble around inside his little kingdom for a while. 

Just when he decided it would be best to leave Levi to it now and not disturb his playtime any further, the omega turned around to gesture him inside, patting frantically on the pillow next to him. 

“Oh I don’t know about this, I- ehm…” Erwin stammered all flustered, regarding the makeshift tent out of blankets skeptically. It was perfect for Levi. Perfect for his small frame, creating a comfortable space for the omega to hide, cuddle and move in. He wouldn’t want to disrupt his nest. And him being built like the alpha he was, he was quite frankly afraid to make a wrong move and destroy the pillow fort altogether in the process. His legs and arms suddenly felt way too big and long, compared to his omega’s delicate body. Their size difference, which Erwin usually loved so much, turned out to be a problem in this case. 

But Levi was having none of it, pausing in his patting and instead pouting at his mate to fucking finally climb in.

“Daddy, come in.” He begged and fluffed up the pillow, with his little hands, that was supposed to be for Erwin. 

“Okay, okay, but just for a moment.” The alpha finally agreed, unable to ever deny his mate anything and so he ducked to climb in with careful movements, making himself as small as possible – which didn’t work at all – until he was laying next to Levi, his body sprawled out in a slightly awkward, but surprisingly comfortable position. 

“Can you stay until I fall asleep?” he inquired longingly.

Levi snuggled up against him, not laying his head on his alpha’s chest, although it was obvious he wanted to, but it would wake him up again, the moment Erwin would try to stand up to leave. Which would have been a brilliant plan to blackmail him into staying, but Erwin appreciated Levi’s consideration for his work, as a very important aspect in Erwin’s life. 

“Of course, baby.” The alpha agreed, planting a small kiss on the omega’s forehead. He kept petting Levi’s head and soft hair, just the way he knew he liked it and it didn’t take long, until he could hear soft snoring next to him, as his signal to leave. 

Erwin glanced at the clock in the hallway, as he slipped on his shoes, ready to book it to work. Thankfully he had enough time left to read over his notes and make his brain shift from “family-mode” to “you better work-mode” before the meeting. For once his mentality to show up two hours in advance, paid off for him.

The situation had resolved itself better than anticipated and Erwin made himself a mental note, to make another stop at the mall on his way to work, since he could spare the few extra minutes, if he just canceled his coffee and had a cup during the meeting itself. Levi would look adorable in his own set of PJs.

When he stood in the aisle with the childrens clothing, having just found the perfect PJ for Levi, colored a light purple, Erwin had not anticipated finding yet another item that spiked his curiosity. He turned the packaging around in his hands over and over, put it back on the shelf and went away a few steps, just to turn back and regard it yet again. His mind was rendering his brain useless, as he thought it over and over again. Would this be going too far or would it actually be helpful for Levi in his current state? 

After a solid ten minutes of going back and forth, feeling like an idiot and raising suspicion of the staff – he could swear, he saw one of the sales ladies eyeing him with a mix of pity and suspicion in her eyes, since he must either look like a desperate father, looking for something to calm down his teared up child at home, or like one of those perverted disgusting alpha’s – he decided that he would give the binky a try and added it to his purchase. If for whatever reason he deemed it unfit afterwards, he could still toss it and Levi would be none the wiser, that it had ever been in Erwin’s possession to begin with.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers, the good thing is - it's update time. The possible bad thing is, that there is a lot of stuff going on in my private life right now, therefore I won't reply to the comments for the time being, but Skoene will take over. So don't worry, we do hear you! I don't want to end up being unintentionall rude to either of you and I just can't think straight at the moment, bc I'm doing really bad. At least I have a new date for my surgery sheduled, which is in about aprox 2 weeks - smoll victories, eh. But I want you to enjoy the new chapter, like we did writing it. Love you guys. Please don't be mad at me.- Satu.

The medication helped with Levi's separation anxiety, it made him incredibly tired, but he wouldn't complain. When he took the meds, he had less nightmares and felt more rested afterwards, just really sluggish for a few hours. He slept fitfully for a while after Erwin had left for work, only waking up, when his stomach growled with hunger. This morning the pills had him knocked out cold so fast, he hadn't even had time to eat the breakfast his alpha had prepared for him. 

He rolled over carefully in his pillow castle, relief flooding him, when he realized he hadn't had another accident. It made him feel proud and more in control of himself. He was glad that Erwin had chosen his guest room - Levi's room - for the day. He liked the safe room, even after what had transpired there the previous night, but it was better to be there with Erwin. If he would have napped in there, he probably would have woken up missing his daddy even more than he already did. But Erwin had important stuff to do and he didn't want to be in the way of things. After all the alpha had been going out of his way to make him as comfortable as possible, while he was gone. 

Levi climbed out of his nest and onto the bed, slipping under the surprisingly warm covers and quickly finding out why, when his freezing toes met the hidden hot-water bottle under the sheets. This was really nice. He sighed contently, before carefully pouring himself a cup of hot chocolate, that was sitting on the bedside table in a thermos. There was a bigger one filled with his favourite tea right next to it, but the small pale blue thermos had a sun drawn on it with sharpie, which made it even more appealing to the omega. A smile passed over his lips, making him blush bashfully, as he remembered Erwin's love filled gaze from this morning, which he had tried not to acknowledge, because it made his stomach summersault. There had been so much care in it, that Levi wanted to hide away and cry in gratitude. He couldn't remember anyone ever looking at him this way, like he had hung the stars and the moon and was their whole world and reason to be alive. 

The omega picked up his plate filled with cut up fruit and some cinnamon oatmeal, that was pleasant even when it had gone cold and settled in to watch some anime on the TV opposite his bed. He had the volume on low, because loud noises scared him and made his head hurt. He finished his food, glancing at the alarm clock, realizing it was almost noon and wondering, how long Erwin's meeting would take.

He was ready to dooze right off again, when a bang rattled the front door, echoing down the hallway. Levi drew the blanket up higher, the noise had shocked him back awake and he was on high alert, fear settling in his gut painfully. 

Maybe one of the neighbours had stumbled? But that theory got busted right away, as a shrill woman's voice started screaming right afterwards, before banging on the door again.

"ERWIN! Get right out! What were you thinking accusing my husband of such vulgar things? You were his friend and you believe a slut over your friend! Have you even thought about my kids you bastard? How am I supposed to feed them, when you get my Nile arrested?" She screamed hysterically, while pounding her fists on the hardwood door separating them.

The name made Levi shiver, this out there was obviously the wife of Nile Dok and she was fucking livid.

Nausea crawled up Levi's throat at the mention of his abusers name.

'"WHAT KIND OF SLUT ARE YOU DATING, THAT YOU BELIEVE HER OVER HIM!" Marie wailed, as she proceeded to insult Levi with every name known in the book, she could come up with in her rage.

The omega stumbled off the bed, thankfully having his fall cushioned by the pillows and blankets on the floor, as he tried to escape the hurtful schrill words of that furious woman. It felt like someone had taken the barrel of a gun to his head, as all hell broke loose.

"Ah Levi, isn't she right? You've always just been a slut. A homewrecker, made to take cock. The only thing you are good at, is spreading your legs, like the good whore you are. Just like your mother." Kenny's voice chimed in helpfully. "You've seduced the poor woman's alpha, trapped him into wanting you, just to blackmail him right afterwards. He couldn't even get as far, as stick it into you." 

The omega panicked, feeling lost to the onslaught of humiliation, as he kept hearing Kenny's words and the crazy woman that was spitting on him and Erwin outside their door.

His legs felt like jello, as he stumbled forward into the bathroom, grabbing the cellphone from the nightstand in his panic, knocking over his mug, that went flying and shattered on the hardwood floor, that was not covered by blankets and pillows. 

He had Erwin on speed dial, he needed his alpha. He couldn't take this any longer. He wanted his daddy! He wanted the crazy woman gone, that blamed him for what her monster of a husband did to him. His hands were shaking so much, as he pressed the speed dial button, but was met right away with Erwin's voicemail. The alpha must still be in the meeting. Levi sobbed and whimpered defeated, accompanied by the cacophony of screamed insults and hammering from Nile's wife on their door.

"Daddy, please, please." He stuttered heavily, before hanging up, as his voice was torn away by heavy sobbing. Erwin would possibly not hear it, until god knows when. 

Kenny's voice laughed at him, as Levi rolled up on the shower floor, pressing himself closer to the wall, farthest away from the front door, but it didn't help. If anything Nile's wife got even louder, as she kept on raging outside. The omega's nerves were ready to snap, as he tried to type out a text to Erwin with shaking hands and tear blurred vision.

"Daddy, please hurry home." It was possibly full of typos as he hit sent, praying that Erwin would read it, even if he was still in the meeting.

His alpha did indeed read the text, under the table during the meeting, like back in college. He was worried, since Levi had never texted him before, or begged so openly for Erwin to come back, but it would be at least another hour, before Pixis would dismiss them from this clusterfuck. He still had some of his presentation left to do, so there really was no way for him to leave early. Currently Hange was talking about some of the data they had found hidden on Nile's work computer.

Mike was sitting right next to him and discreetly looked over, wondering what had Erwin distracted, as the other alpha showed him the display with the message. Answering would have been too obvious and he didn’t want to explain to Pixis why he was on his phone, instead of paying the uttermost attention to the current problems they were facing.

Mike nodded once in understanding, without any words said and took out his own device, to shoot a text to his mate to take the key to Erwin's apartment, so she could go check on Levi. Something must be wrong. 

It was unlikely that Nile was already a free man again, so whatever was going on, hopefully didn't endanger his Nana. Mike elbowed Erwin lightly in the side, showing him the text he had just sent and Nanaba's confirmation that she was on her way, before turning his attention back to the meeting and a cold stare from nobody but Dot Pixis himself.

"Mr. Zacharias care to share? I mean it must be more important than the numbers Dr. Zoe is discussing after all?" Their boss teased, his mustache bristling.

"Sorry, I had to answer my wife." Mike scratched his neck in embarrassment of having been found out.

"Ah, the troubles of a marital bond. Alright, hopefully it will suffice to keep her happy. Let's get back to business then." Pixis clapped his hands and Hange picked up where they had left off.

  
  


Levi didn't know how long he was waiting for an answer, or the door to open and Erwin to come in, as Nile's wife and Kenny kept talking over each other. His head hurt and he wanted it all to stop. He was a crying and shaking mess, as he stumbled over to his alpha's bathroom, the noise rising around him, as he crawled through the hallway. Maybe, if he took another one of his pills, he would pass out again. 

He wanted silence. He didn't want to hear the screeching anymore and his uncle’s disgusting laughter, didn't want to remember the meeting with Nile and feel the hands all over his body. His knees hurt, from the hardwood floor, the sweater with Erwin's scent did nothing to ease his panic, if anything it made him feel overheated, like he couldn't breathe. He blindly searched for the pill bottle, left behind somewhere on the counter. His fingers sliding over the granite countertop, knocking the bottle down. He struggled with the child's proven cap and when the lid did finally come off, his hands were trembling so violently, he accidentally up ended the whole thing. The pills went flying everywhere, scattering over the tiled floor, some pooling in the palm of his hand.

For a second he wondered, if it would be bad to take more than one? If it would help him fall asleep faster?

He just wanted quiet, but before he could do anything stupid a warm hand took hold of his wrist and Nana's scent hit him right in the face.

"Oh beautiful, it's okay. It's going to be okay." The other omega purred. She spilled the pills back into the empty container, only giving Levi one dose, since he seemed to be out of his mind. The omega in front of her was a mumbling, hiccuping, sobbing mess, one hand still holding his head and pressing onto his ear, like he would still be hearing things.

Nana had threatened to get Marie arrested too, as she met the crazy bitch in the hallway, where she still had been going nuts, when Nana had hurried over.

She didn't even need to ask, what this was all about. The woman obviously saw her money float down the drain, with Nile out of job and in police custody. Material things were all Marie ever had cared about. She needed someone to blame for her misfortune and that had obviously been Levi, by accusing him of lying among other things. At least as far as Nana had heard, when she’d arrived.

When she had entered the bonded pairs apartment, the show Levi must have been watching, was still on, there was a shattered cup of caco on the floor and a sticky trail leading to the bathroom. She had thought that maybe Levi was taking a shower, but the room had been empty and she had followed his distressed scent to Erwin's en suite bathroom, where she’d found him with a bunch of meds in the palm of his hand. 

Thankfully it seemed he hadn't swallowed any so far, from the looks of it, but it scared her shitless. She had checked the label of the empty container, relieved to find it was Levi's prescription, so he might just have wanted to take one, to help him calm down.

Nana tried her best to soothe Erwin's panicked mate. She knew she wasn't the alpha he needed, but she would do her best to stand in, until Erwin arrived. She gently brushed Levi's hair out of his face, as he sipped some of the water.

Levi wasn't really sure if it was Nana or his mom, who was with him. He knew he wasn't alone, but his mind was so mixed up and panicked, that he couldn't really take in the reality.

"Sorry… so sorry daddy… make stop…" he kept mumbling, as the drugs finally started to work their magic. His blood pressure and pulse sank significantly.

She checked him over for any other injuries, glad he hadn't cut his hands on the porcelain shards. He however had wet his PJs, possibly from being so scared, by the vile insults and the memories they brought along, but didn't seem to be aware of it. 

Nana's heart was breaking for him. She didn't address the issue, just took advantage of Levi's drug induced docile state to quickly rinse him down, then proceeded to put him in one of Erwin's shirts and put the sweater, that had somehow survived unscattered, back on over his shivering body.

She bundled him up in bed, where he kept holding her hand, while dozing off lightly, after she had cleaned up the mess and cuddled up to the other omega.

Levi was only half asleep, as he pressed close to her body, his head resting against Nana's bossom. He kept slurring words sometimes, not making much sense, but there were new tears to dry every once in a while, as she let the cartoon start over and held him. 

The poor boy having to put up with shit, even from Nile's greedy wife, made her furious. She wanted to give that sad excuse of a woman a stern talking to, even more than she already had done upon arrival. But Levi was her priority right now. Erwin must be worried sick about him. She had sent him and Mike a quick text to update the both, while she’d tended to the fellow omega, purring softly, to keep Levi as calm as possible.

  
  


The most difficult thing for Erwin was to focus on his own presentation, to keep his mind in the present and in the room in which he stood, shoving the worry away for the time and working through it. Knowing Nanaba was with Levi helped immensely and he couldn’t wait to sit down again and survive the rest of the meeting somehow. He had to rely on Nana to keep him updated. Due to their weakened bonding mark, he wasn’t able to sense Levi’s distress as much as before, it didn’t affect his own health as much either, but aside from being physically well, he felt sick to the stomach, as he was not able to immediately rush to his mate and save him, from whatever upset him like this. 

During his speech his eyes focused on Mike’s steady gaze more often than usual, finding comfort in the other alpha’s presence, otherwise there was no noticeable difference in his behavior, as he spoke with his usually deep and confident tone, presenting the evidence at hand, that calculated out just how much exactly Nile’s doings had damaged the business. 

The moment he sat down again, his hands immediately reached for his phone as discreetly as he could, indeed seeing a text from Nana, that explained the situation. 

It wasn’t that surprising to him, that Marie had lost her shit. She had lost everything, her fake status and her dreams of a noble wealthy wife, as a trophy omega built on sand, that now crumbled beneath her feet. 

Sure, Nile had not been what she had expected, but with him, she could at least pretend and believe in all his nice false promises. Without him, even that went down the drain. If she weren’t to blame Levi for it, Erwin would have felt pity for her. But now the only thing he felt was disgust. Nevertheless, Nana had emphasized that Erwin should come back from the meeting, as soon as he could, but should refrain from bringing Mike as emotional support.

He was glad that Marie had decided to stay inside of her apartment, probably sobbing and crying, yelling against the wall in anger, but too afraid of the threat, that they would call the police on her sorry ass. She was an omega and she wasn’t that stupid, she knew what this meant in a justice court, especially since there were charges against her own alpha, too.

Erwin opened the apartment door, as quietly as he could, closing it with a soft click and hanging his coat up on the wardrobe. Suddenly there was a shuffling heard from Levi’s room, directing Erwin in the right direction, followed by Nana’s voice, crooning at him to calm down – “He’s here, he’s here, shhh, everything will be okay…”

The sight that met him, when he opened the door to his old guestroom made his heart clench. Levi was holding himself up on weak arms, half way crouched on Nanaba, as he tried to crawl forwards to meet his alpha. His face was swollen with tears and his voice scratchy from crying, as he whimpered for his alpha over and over again. 

He looked tired, absolutely exhausted - he probably took his meds to calm his nerves – and Erwin felt relieved and also proud, that Levi didn’t do anything stupid with them. The alpha set his suitcase and the bag from the mall aside and rushed forward. He knelt down to meet his mate, helping him shuffle from Nanaba’s lap into his arms. Once properly fitted, Erwin enveloped the small frame tightly and rocked him steadily, like he would do with a small child. 

“Thank you for holding out so long. You have been so strong, baby, so brave for me.” He praised Levi gently, kissing his damp forehead and nuzzling the jet black hair, before turning to Nanaba.

“Thank you so much for handling this for me. You must have put Marie back in her place properly.” Erwin’s voice was thick with gratitude.

Nanaba nodded and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Giving the omega woman a small smile in return, Erwin noticed that this was the first time that he was alone with Nana ever since the incident. Thinking about it, they had come a long way, considering that only a few months ago, she wouldn’t even look at him anymore and Mike would have rather died than let his mate near him, after what he had done. The alpha was grateful that he had them both back as his friends. 

Erwin didn’t notice that he had stopped in his ministrations, until the shivering in his arms intensified, small sobs disrupting the moment between the two friends. 

“I’ll go now, I have a nice roast on the stove and I don’t want Mike to get hungry enough to try preparing it. I need my kitchen, you know?” She laughed, before crouching down to Levi's eye level and patting him gently. “Goodbye sweetheart.” With that Nanaba left the pair to themselves. 

Levi was fidgeting in Erwin’s arms, trying to curl up on his lap, despite feeling restless and anxious. Not knowing what to do, Erwin remembered his little gift from the mall he had bought right before work and wondered if this was the proper time and place to present it to Levi. He decided that it was worth a try.

“Levi, I brought you something special, do you want to see it?” At first Levi nodded timidly, looking up at him with sleepy, but curious eyes, but as he realized, that Erwin would need to stand up for it and even worse, move away to get it, Levi started to struggle. He reinforced his pleas for his alpha to please stay. 

“I just have to get to my suitcase, I won’t even leave the room, see?” He explained softly, as he gestured to the briefcase a few steps away, that was still leaning against the door jamb, where he had left it upon entering. 

Levi returned his gaze unimpressed, his hands clinging to his alpha, as he held one of Erwin’s legs captive in his attempt to hinder his alpha's movement. As best as he could, with his leg rendered useless, Erwin stretched as far as he could, to reach for his suitcase and the bag, in order to pull it closer, searching through it for his special surprise, until he finally found it. 

He unpacked the item from its case, before he turned around and shuffled closer to Levi again, who draped himself back over his alphas lap again in waiting, the black mop of hair resting on one muscular thigh. Hesitating and still unsure, if Levi would like it, or would end up feeling pressured by it, Erwin presented the binky to his mate. 

“I thought you might find this comforting.” He offered, as Levi’s eyes darted between him and the pacifier, obviously surprised, but otherwise hard to read.

Levi was so glad that Erwin was back home. Even heavily drugged and dead tired, he couldn't let go of his alpha for even just a moment. He was afraid, he would wake up and it would have all just been a dream. Kenny's voice had quietened down, but he still piped up occasionally and Levi simply craved to feel safe.

The binky seemed to be a nice option, he hadn't even considered, but here his daddy was looking out for him, always knowing what was best for him.

He tentatively reached out for it, fingertips brushing against Erwin's warm palm. 

"M… mi… mine?" He hesitantly asked, words and talking had been difficult and he was still stuttering badly, his body still burning through the adrenalin that had flooded his system.

"If you want it. Just let me clean it real quick." Erwin amended, watching Levi's face crumble, since the omega assumed Erwin had to get up and leave him yet again, to do it. It broke his heart, so he quickly took the easiest route, holding on to Levi and popping the pacifier in his own mouth. If he could heal mating marks with his alpha spit, he might as well disinfect that binky. The chemical residue rubber taste wasn't pleasant to him at all, but quickly faded, as his saliva broke down the leftover germs and chemical remains. He tried not to pull a face for Levi's sake, who was watching him confused, before pulling it back out with a pop.

"There you go all clean, my sweetheart." He offered it back to Levi, who let his jaw turn slack in return, therefore allowing his alpha to pop the binky in his mouth. 

It was a new sensation, as he closed his lips around it and gave it a soft suck, tasting Erwin and nothing but Erwin in the process. His eyes started to drop right away, as a wave of contentment spread through him, making him hold onto Erwin tighter, small fingers closing around the alpha's wrist, like it was a safety blanket.

"Daddy." Levi mumbled gratefully around the binky, head turning into Erwin's hip, seeking out his scent there. 

"Yeah baby, it's all going to be okay." Erwin pulled him up, so Levi could rest his head in the crook of his neck, closer to his main scent gland. He noticed that Levi's bottoms were missing, as his small legs settled cold and naked along Erwin's dress pants. The washing machine was humming softly in the background and he noticed that the teacup and a few pillows were gone too. For a brief moment Erwin wondered, what had happened, apart from the obvious, while he had been gone. 

Levi must have been really upset and distressed. 

"How about we put you into some special panties I bought for you, today? At least until the dryer is done with your PJs, so you won't freeze and don't have to worry about the bed. How does that sound?" Erwin suggested, observing his sleepy omega's face closely. He had been hesitant to buy the pack of pull up nappies, but considering the possibility of Levi being prone to more accidents, at least while he was still this vulnerable, it had seemed to be the best option at hand. 

Levi was a bit confused about Erwin's suggestion, but when the alpha showed him the package he was too tired to make a fuss. Erwin would know what was best for him, so he gave barely a nod, before tugging his face back into the embrace. The omega allowed his mate to gently manhandle him into one of the new pull up nappies, before they settled back down on the bed, with Erwin draping the comforter over his mate, to keep him warm.

Levi breathed in his mate's scent deeply, dropping off to sleep under Erwin's soft petting within seconds, the tension finally leaving his small frame.

Erwin let him sleep, content just to hold his omega close. He wondered if Levi would prefer moving to the safe room instead, but he didn't want to wake him, just to ask about it. They could still move over there for the night.

Meanwhile he was texting back and forth with Nana, letting her give him a run down about what exactly went down and watched some of the business news on TV. He also emailed Pixis, that something came up and he would need to work from home for the next 2 days at least, hoping it would pass, because he could really use some rest as well. There still was the pending questioning of the police, shall they decide to need Levi's account of what happened after all, but he hoped they would spare him. His omega deserved at least a little luck.

Levi's sleep was peacefully dreamless, the redness slowly fading from his soft cheeks, he kept sucking on the binky occasionally, fingers curled around the collar of Erwin's shirt for leverage. He refused to let go, even in his sleep. 

Maybe he would feel better, after his nap. Erwin had already decided to indulge and order take away, hoping Levi would appreciate a kids menu.

It was almost 8 p.m. when Levi finally woke up sniffling, smacking his lips around the binky and rubbing his sore eyes, with his fist tiredly. Erwin would possibly have told him not to do that, afraid Levi would aggravate his sore eyes, but the omega found himself, alone, tugged into his bed, the nappy still firmly hugging his slender hips. It was an odd feeling at first, but not nearly as shameful, as he was afraid it would feel, but it thankfully was still dry.

When Erwin finished storing away the ordered take away, for when Levi would wake up, he decided to check on Levi. He opened the door just a bit, careful to not make any noise, so he wouldn’t accidentally wake up Levi. But seeing Levi was already awake or had just woken up - Erwin hoped that his heavy footsteps weren’t the cause - there was no need to worry. 

Levi had been rubbing his tired eyes with his thumb and voiced a tiny yawn, looking incredibly adorable to the alpha, as he continued sucking on the pacifier. After a second he noticed Erwin standing in the doorway, regarding him fondly and the usually pale cheeks flushed pink immediately. 

"Did you sleep well, baby?" Erwin inquired, before stepping closer and sitting down on the bedside, his hand caressed Levi's cheek gently.

The omega nodded and leaned into the touch.

"Are you hungry? I ordered some food for us." Levi thought about it for a moment, probably unsure, if he could stomach any food, but then decided to give it a try. When Erwin stood up, Levi reached his arms out for the alpha to carry him, which was starting to become second nature for both of them. Levi seemed to crave close body contact and Erwin would never even think of complaining. Being able to hold his mate and carry him around, added up well with his urge to protect and care for his omega. Doing this for Levi filled him with joy, especially seeing Levi's reactions to him, needing the contact as much as he did, made his heart swell. It also gave him hope that they would be able to restore the bonding mark. From his perspective, with Levi settled safely in his arms, he could look directly down on his neck and see the bonding mark that was mocking him with its faint colour and he could almost hear Nile laugh at him from afar. So Erwin pressed a kiss onto the offending skin, he loved so much, making Levi twitch and whimper in surprise, before seating him on his chair- specifically the one with the colorful pillow to sit on.

Levi regarded the food that Erwin placed in front of him with a distrusting eye and the blond almost feared that Levi would not be up to eat anything after all, or dislike the much smaller portion, compared to the mountain of food in front of his partner. 

"I never had one of those, thank you, daddy!" Levi finally exclaimed, as he reached out for the little action figure that accompanied every kids menu. Holding the little toy in his hands, he was quickly distracted from the food in front of him, which cooled down again rapidly. 

"Please eat your food first, afterwards you can go play again." Erwin interrupted him, with a firm but not unkind tone in his voice, as he handed Levi a fork and a knife, so he would not attempt to eat with his fingers.

Levi indeed put the toy aside and took the cutlery in his hands to eat properly, which worked for all but a moment, until temptation took its toll and he took a frie with his fingers. Erwin clicked his tongue, disapproving the bad table manners and Levi quickly licked his fingers clean, looking innocently back at bis alpha, who hid just how much he wanted to lick on the slim fingers, behind a stern look. 

They resumed eating, with Levi dropping the knife and replacing it with his sneaky fingers, while he at least tried to still use the fork. He indeed finished the whole - kid sized - meal, which Erwin considered a step forward. After they had finished Erwin quickly loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, before scooping Levi up in his arms again, holding him close, as his eyes rested on the faint bonding mark yet again. 

"Where to, baby boy? Your room, the living room or the safe space?" Erwin inquired softly.

Levi sighed deeply into the alpha's neck, fiddling with the binky again, ready to flee from every decision, that would make him responsible for his own actions. He had a fleeting thought, about how much stress he was possibly putting on Erwin, for being like this and that he had to man up and do shit like an adult. But the thought was quickly chased away by worst case scenarios, that made his skin crawl and his small frame shiver. He didn't feel ready to face the music just yet.

He also hadn't been stuck in this vulnerable state of mind for such long periods of time before, which in itself was unsettling. Maybe he was finally broken beyond repair?

"Want to be with you." He murmured against the soft skin, burying his nose back in close to Erwin's scent gland, pacifier back in his mouth and clamped his legs around the alpha's sturdy waist tighter, in an attempt to communicate, he wasn't planning on letting go of him anytime soon. He missed that he couldn't feel what Erwin was feeling, with his damaged mating mark, missed the confidence it installed in him. 

Erwin held him tighter in response, his arms serving as a protective cage, that snuggled Levi in closer to the strong body, as Erwin carried him over to the couch to sit down. Levi's uncertainty spoke volumes, despite the lack of transmitted feelings and it pulled at his heartstrings, that he was reduced to only be able to offer reassurance solely in the form of actions and scent. Levi didn't seem to have a set opinion on anything currently, which left him with a lot of responsibility. It certainly didn't help that the double dosage of the strong prescription left him incredibly tired and cranky for hours afterwards. 

While it helped to calm his omega back down from falling apart completely, Erwin worried that it would do more damage in the long run, than actually help him progress. Maybe they were better off consulting Hanji again, to ensue further progress, rather than a stand still, by switching up the options at hand. Erwin didn't dare to address the elephant in the room without professional guidance, afraid to throw Levi back into the pits of a mental breakdown, even though talking seemed like the best course of action to him, in order to deal with the fall out.

Levi was snuggled up in his lap, bundled into a blanket burrito, that would put the angry sushi roll, he had come to admire so much to shame, as they both watched mindless food network. 

Levi couldn't concentrate much, or even follow the show in its entirety, but he let out small giggles, each time Gordon Ramsay cussed out a contestant. Erwin's strong heartbeat echoing in his ear, kept the nervous energy still surging through his body to a tolerable minimum and lured him back into a dozing state. Eyes dropping every now and again, fingers occasionally flexing against the soft material of Erwin's Henley, but still holding tight - the alpha must have put it on, while Levi had been taking his nap. His daddy was like a rock in his stormy waters and just by being there, Levi felt secure. 

His dino shaped chicken nuggets had been delicious and a surprise. But the action figure was easily left abandoned, in contrast to snuggles with Erwin, he kept turning the toy around in one hand occasionally, when advertisements played on the big screen, but the urge to play was all but diminished, drowned out by the sluggish feeling, the drugs left him with. He kept rubbing his face against Erwin's chest every now and again like a kitten, so the man wouldn't seize the gentle petting, before yawning wide around the binky.

"Are you sleepy again sweetheart?" Erwin inquired, after they were halfway through the Hell's kitchen episode.

"No. No want sleep." Levi protested weakly, clutching tighter to his alpha. Sleeping would mean nightmares and being alone. He wanted to be with Erwin, to stay with his alpha and not miss a single second of attention.

"Alright." Erwin accepted, but turned off the TV anyway, to carry Levi back into the safe room, so they could settle in for the night. Levi gruntled softly, but let Erwin go through the motions of his nighttime routine, while he clutched the huge pillow to himself, until the alpha returned from his shower. Erwin read him another bedtime story, asked him gently, if he needed to go the bathroom once more, which he did, despite not feeling like he actually had to go. Before they cuddled back up together and silence enveloped them. He was still wearing the diapers and had considered not getting up at all, but it felt wrong. He was way happier to know, they remained dry, because wetting them, would mean he had lost all control over his bodily functions yet again.

"Scent, please." Levi begged sleepily. He hated feeling like this. Erwin complied right away, softly scenting his mate throughout.

"Mine." He promised reassuringly.

"Yours daddy." Levi murmured, releasing a cloud of pheromones himself, as he finally fell back asleep in the cradle of his alpha's arms.

Feeling Levi’s pheromones tingling his nose eased Erwins mind a bit, cutting back the urge to reclaim his mate, that itched under his skin, every time he saw the too faint bonding mark on the delicate neck. He could smell their scents mingling together, as he held Levi tight in his arms, while he wondered, if it would be like this forever. 

Despite how much he loved to care for his mate like this, he longed for his Levi to be back, to be free and not caught up and restrained by what had happened to him. He wanted Levi to be happy, happy with him. But Erwin knew that no matter how hard he tried, how much he learned about the topic and how good he would take care of him, he wouldn’t be enough. Levi needed professional help. He made a mental note to ask Hanji about references, before also drifting off to sleep – Levi should be in good hands, when time was right. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everybody for all the comments, Kudos and hits. Yo guys are so amazing, I love you. thank you so much for all the support. We all need love in these dark times.  
I only have 1 week left until surgery, given it won't be postponed, bc of my current bad conditon. Wish me luck. <3  
Thus the next update might be a bit later, since I don't know how I will feel afterwards. -Satu

Erwin woke up, not feeling refreshed at all and feeling wary about leaving Levi all to himself, while he was at work. Somehow Dot Pixis insisted that he needed him there, regardless of what he had requested two days prior. The beta was starting to get wary over every tiny little thing after Nile's betrayal and kept a close eye on everyone around him. He was utterly suspicious that Zeke had cancelled the upcoming meeting. 

Pixis suspected another cunning plan, but Erwin assumed that Zeke was smart enough to stay out of the dirty business and off the records, until everything Nile related, could not fall back onto him. So keeping out of the spotlight, instead of hurrying along to finalize the contract for the take over, was a wise move on Zeke Yeager's side. Aside from that, there was Nile’s awaiting trial to take place, quite soon to Erwin’s surprise. But he would not complain, the sooner it was over with the better, and there had been some ruckus in the company, who would be invited to give testimony and who wouldn’t.

The rumor mill was going crazy and it gnawed at his nerves, to feel the prying eyes on him and he let out a curse, when he heard the chatter in the office, far too many had gotten an invitation to the trial, everyone who had some shit to say about Nile, had received one of those stupid letters and they kept chatting and chatting about it. Erwin could have driven straight back home, but of course he stayed, only spending his lunch break in his office, instead of with his colleagues. 

His thoughts drifted back to his mate at home, that he left while he was asleep, leaving tea and cocoa ready for him to enjoy, together with some scrambled eggs and bacon he'd prepared for breakfast. All of that accompanied by a note excusing himself to work, hoping that it would help calm Levi's nerves down. It had only been 2 days since Levi’s break down and it felt way too early to leave his omega to his own devices, at least in his alpha’s opinion. He had added his office phone number to the note, in case Levi needed to reach him immediately and to ease his own conscience. 

He felt like a monster, leaving his mate at home in such a state, no matter how often he told himself, that he did this for him - going to work to clean up the mess, so they could fly to Hawaii soon. 

It had become his main motivation ever since his mate had mentioned it, the stupid desktop picture of the exact beach Levi had described, was glaring back at him in multi color. The same beach, he wanted to walk along with Levi, as a symbol for his future happiness. Just the two of them holding hands, watching the sunset and feeling the sand between their toes. 

The day couldn’t get over fast enough, between all the phone calls and discussions with Pixis, who hogged his office far too much lately. His boss kept piling more and more work onto Erwin's desk, he had observed the alpha, who seemed so dedicated and driven, since the incident with Nile. 

Truth to be told, Erwin was fueled by pain and hatred, not wanting to give away the control over the case to anyone else, who might be less concerned by its proceeding, since this was not only a business matter to him, but a personal one too.

So Erwin refrained from complaining over the workload, although he hated the fact that it made him stay apart from Levi, offering up a bright smile at Pixis, whenever someone had found another ‘suspicious looking file’ in Nile’s former office. 

Being in control always kept him together, kept him sane and grounded, strong enough to handle everything. It made him wonder how much it had taken Levi to give up control, like he had, while Erwin had been spanking him. The way his mate had been mewling and Erwin had envisioned him to be tied up in the most complicated patterns of shibari knots, he could come up with, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts and got back to work. Erwin sorted the mess out quickly, stacking the files neatly and preparing for a destroying testimony against Nile, ready to wreck the fucker in court beyond recognition, so he wouldn’t ever be a free man ever again.

Despite all of the drive he felt at work, Erwin had to admit he was tired, when he came home, feeling dreadful and worn out. He opened his mailbox and finally took his invitation to the court out of it, which had been waiting for him the whole day. His tired mind wondered for one second, why there wasn’t one for Levi as well, but how would they know his postal address, since the omega was probably not registered at all, or only at his home address.

Erwin couldn’t even check on it, since he didn’t know it, for some reason it hadn’t come up in conversation so far and it just felt natural to have Levi living with him, since he was his mate and all. He realized he had never once spared a thought to the fact that Levi might still have left a lease, or a house, or an apartment contract to take care of.

Mike could go check it for him, but just the thought left a bitter feeling in his mouth, not liking it at all. Just the realisation that Mike knew something so private about his mate, made his possessive instincts flare back to radiant jealousy. But maybe it was for the better, if Levi would be left out of it. Patronizing Levi like that felt wrong too, but with Levi in this state, he couldn‘t really ask him, if he wanted to testify or not. 

Not knowing what would be the better or worse option right now, Erwin decided to put the letter away in his satchel bag, before opening the apartment door. After all, he didn’t want to burden Levi any further.

Levi had woken late that morning, the binky being abandoned next to him on the pillow, the sheets already cold, telling him Erwin must have been gone for a while. He remembered him saying something about wanting to stay home, but that obviously hadn't worked out. The apartment was silent, apart from the distant humming of the refrigerator in the kitchen.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, as he starfished out on the soft mattress, stretching his limbs and waiting for the fog of sleep to lift from his mind. He hadn't dreamed at all and he was grateful for it. The images stashed away in the last corner of his mind, were enough of a reminder, that he had fucked up his own plan. 

It might have worked out at least some, but he didn't feel like he had gotten revenge on Nile, if anything he had gotten himself more hurt in the process. 

The good thing about this morning however, was that he was able to think clearly for once, ever since everything came tumbling down. He would be lying, if he wasn't still feeling scared shitless, but it seemed manageable for once, even with Erwin gone. The medication had run its course, he had probably slept enough to last a few weeks, but he would rather not have a repeat of that. He enjoyed the breakfast Erwin had prepared for him with gusto, hungry like a horde of wolfs, that hadn't been fed in weeks. The omega was smiling at the note his alpha had left behind and he remembered that he possibly should ring Nana to apologize. His bandages itched uncomfortably and by now he was already done with being sick.

He washed their dishes by hand, setting them in the drying rack, before he decided that a cleaning spree would help him keep busy.

Erwin had taken good care of the place, even though he had had his hands full, but of course Levi could do better. He couldn't really buy stuff for his alpha, without using Erwin's own money to do so, he couldn't really contribute to their living and just thinking about offering a surprise blowjob, made him feel sick and gag. He shook his head violently to get rid of the images of Nile's rancid dick in his mind.

This wasn't the right time nor place for such contemplations and he hurried to get to work on the kitchen counters next.

It didn't take him long, to get their apartment in order and he finally reeled himself back in, as he contemplated dusting the office, for what felt like the 10th time in a row. He took a shower instead, cleaning himself thoroughly, even if it meant to wash away Erwin's scent, before drying up and rolling around in the alpha's bed to chase the last remains of Erwin's musk, even though he hadn't slept in here for what felt like forever. 

The clock showed 3 p.m by the time he was done and had plucked up enough courage to ask Nana to come over, waiting for her in a simple pair of jeans and one of Erwin's big hoodies. It was a gentle ruby color, reached almost to his knees and smelt amazing, like Erwin had chucked it on the chair, right after work and forgot to put it back on, or carry it with him this morning.

Nana knocked gently, surprised to find Levi up and dressed, if anything he seemed almost back to normal, but there was still a soft glow around him, indicating his snarky self wasn't 100% on the same page yet. Nevertheless it seemed remarkable how fast he had bounced back from the incident.

"Hey darling, you summoned me?" The omega giggled, offering her open arms for a hug, Levi gladly rushed into her embrace.

"Thank you for coming and I'm… I'm sorry."

"No need to thank me or to apologize. I'm glad you are feeling better." She smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Levi had written a note for Erwin, just in case the alpha came home earlier than usual, so he wouldn't worry about his omega's whereabouts, before enlisting Nana's help and support, to finally take a step towards taking care of himself. 

He was an adult after all, and today seemed a good day as any, or as good as it was going to get.

Nanaba had been surprised, but quickly cleared up her afternoon to take Levi to the doctor at the omega house and to the mall afterwards. Hanji wouldn't be there today, but Nana had reassured him, their assistant was just as good natured and friendly.

He first wanted to call it off, he had been set on seeing the crazy beta, but with Nana at his side, he would hopefully survive seeing a stranger in their place.

To his surprise Moblit turned out to be just as capable and Levi had taken to the beta, despite his worst expectations. There was some hissing, when the bandages finally came off, but he was almost glad that he had taken that step. Nana had been holding his hand, offering silent reassurance and it felt good to only have the cut on his hip left, that needed re-dressing. Talking to Moblit about the medication however, was a bit awkward for the omega, he wasn't used to complaining about treatment, if anything he was glad, he could even get any and the omega house didn't even make him wait for long or pay for it.

But Moblit didn't get mad, he looked at Hanji's messy notes, contemplating for a moment, before he suggested another course of prescription. 

Levi wasn't really used to any of the herbal remedies, but Nana took notes for him, he could at least try some of the tinctures. Moblit also explained, that he could sent Hange to see him soon, for any further questions, careful to not trigger a bad response in the omega, by touching the elephant in the room, overall he handled the entire thing with respect and Levi found himself thanking the man for his time, before taking his leave to fill in the prescription for his new dose of meds.

He felt relief, that the doctor had listened to him and didn't scold him, or worse simply told him to quit whining. He had taken Levi seriously and that meant a lot to the omega.

Nana took him to the mall, just as promised, where he picked up some ingredients for dinner with the credit card the alpha had entrusted him with, he was looking forward to cooking for Erwin. It was the least he could do to show his gratitude. Knowing there wasn't much about the mating mark he could do for now, even if Moblit had declared his ass all better, he didn't feel ready to roll over. He was aware that outside of heat the connection wouldn't be as strong, so all he could do for now, was wait for his hormones to sort themselves out.

He picked up a few things that caught his eye, as well as a soft gray scarf, since December was already upon them. He bought another plushy, that made Nana giggle as well as some really nice thick warm linens for the alpha's bed. 

They were already heading towards the check out, when Levi stopped abruptly. He wasn't one for christmas gifts and amidst all the chaos, christmas had been far from his mind and not any of his concerns, but maybe Erwin would appreciate the small gift. It was a simple deep blue green metallic organizer that would look amazing on Erwin's desk. It came with an expensive looking ballpen in the same color, as well as some other office knick knacks, like post it notes and a few paperclips. 

He stared at it for a while, momentarily feeling bad for spending Erwin's money, before getting over himself and putting it in the cart.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Levi. I'm sure he'll like it. It matches with his office decor and his eyes." Nanaba smiled at him, while they carried the few bags to her’s and Mike's car. Levi grinned at her in response, shaking the small bottle of ocean blue and lavender scented bath salts, he had picked up as well.

"He better likes a good hot bath."

Nana dropped him off and followed him up to the apartment, afraid he otherwise might run into Marie again, before they said goodbye and hugged each other. 

Levi busied himself with making his mother's comfort soup for dinner, sure enough that they would both need it, as well as prepping Erwin's en suite for the relaxing bath he had planned for his daddy. By now he was slipping up every now and again, from being grown up all day, but he felt a small surge of pride for having accomplished so much today and couldn't wait for Erwin to come home, while he tugged away the christmas gifts at the far end of Erwin’s walk in closet, a place his alpha rarely ever stepped into. He had just finished, washing, drying and putting the new linens on the alpha's bed, when he could hear Erwin unlocking their front door.

The scent of cleaning ingredients filled up Erwin’s nose the moment he opened his apartment door. Even from the entry, he could see that every inch was spotless and perfectly clean, in a manner he neither had time nor patience for, indicating that Levi had worked his magic, while he was away. He could hear faint bubbling noises from the kitchen and with every step he took closer, the more the smell of fresh soup mingled with the clean air. 

“Welcome home, daddy.” Levi rushing out of the alpha’s bedroom took Erwin by surprise, who looked down at him with a puzzled expression. 

“I- uhm… thank you, baby. Good evening.” The alpha finally forced the words out of his mouth, as he took a look around him, amazed at how much his omega managed to do despite his state. 

He did not know how to properly appreciate it, just coming home to something like this, made his heart flutter and his mind turn all squishy, at the domestic display in front of him. The only thing missing to complete the picture would have been an apron around Levi’s waist, as the omega returned to the kitchen. The alpha thought he might die of cuteness overload, as Levi had to stand on his tiptoes to check on the soup, giving it a brief taste, before deeming it finished. 

The dinner table was already prepared and Levi ushered him to sit down and wait for his dinner to be served. Erwin watched Levi shuffle around, noticed how much the omega struggled to keep himself together, to do this for him and how tired the little man must be, according to the shadows beneath his eyes. 

“Levi…” Erwin started, just as Levi put the pot of soup in the middle of the table, but he received no reaction. Unsure if the omega ignored him on purpose, or was too caught up in the task, Erwin waited a moment, before continuing. “Levi, you don’t have to do this for me in order to keep me happy, you know that, don’t you?”

Just as he served Erwin the soup, Levi finally looked up with a confused expression and now it was obvious that it took his all to stay focused on the task at hand. Erwin looked back, holding the eye contact for a second, until Levi cursed under his breath, as he noticed, that soup was dripping from the ladle in his hand directly onto the table top. Immediately he turned to clean the small mess up, not noticing the worry in his alpha's eyes, who tried to reach out to him. 

“You don’t like it?” muttered Levi, after he had sat down, too, eyes set on his spoon, purposefully avoiding the blue eyes staring at him. 

“No!” Erwin immediately shouted, his voice a little too loud, making Levi flinch in his seat.

“No… I love it! All that you did. The clean apartment, this delicious soup. I really appreciate it, baby!” he was quick to reassure his omega. “But I wonder where this is coming from?” He added in a more calm tone, as his hand reached out to Levi’s over the table, entwining their fingers and giving them a gentle squeeze. 

Levi’s fingers pressed back weakly, as he twirled the words around in his head, trying to find the right words. 

“You’ve taken such good care of me. You work so much and you seemed a little stressed lately, so I thought… I thought, I should give you something back.” 

With a sigh Erwin stood up and went around the table, until he was next to Levi’s seat. The cutlery set aside, the gray eyes followed him and widened in confusion, as the tall man dropped down to his knees and reached out his hands to envelope Levi’s delicate ones, yet again. 

“That’s very thoughtful of you, baby. And I am very grateful for all of this, but please never feel like you should, or have to do those things for me. Especially when you are not feeling too well and should be resting, sweetheart.” He whispered softly, before kissing his omega’s fingertips and smiling up at him.

“But I-“ Levi tried to protest.

“You don’t owe me anything. Ever.” Suspecting his mate's argument, Erwin interrupted him with a firm, yet gentle tone in his voice. “I love you, Levi. No matter what state you are in, or how you feel. And I love taking care of you and providing for you, I love reading bedtime stories to you and cuddling up with you. I love building a pillow fort, this was the most fun I’ve had in years. Don’t worry about me, baby. As long as you are by my side, there is nothing I can’t handle.” Erwin promised with conviction.

“I don’t like you tearing yourself apart for me. You are tired, daddy, and then… and then you have to come home to a bother like me, stressing you out further and-“ Levi sobbed out, tears suddenly leaking from his eyes, which he frantically tried to rub away, with the sleeves of his hoodie. “And I can’t do even this right!”

Hushing his mate, Erwin grabbed the tiny wrists in his hands, holding them still, so he could see Levi’s tear swollen face. 

“You are not a bother!” He stated clearly, letting the words sink in, before continuing. “And yes I am tired. Tired of people wanting to hurt you – hurt us. And work is a lot. Especially since-“ Erwin stopped himself from mentioning Nile’s name. “-what happened. But, if this means that we can be together and walk along the beach of Hawaii someday, it is absolutely worth it.” he reassured his mate.

Levi went silent at that, quietly sniffing his nose and Erwin was worried that he had overwhelmed his mate, with his heartfelt speech, that just erupted from him out of thin air.

“But I wanted to do all of this for you, daddy! Nana helped me and it felt kinda nice preparing something for you. I just wanted to make you happy… if you don’t like it I won’t-“ 

“I like it, sweetheart, and you made me very happy. But so much so sudden, just for me…?” Erwin racked one hand through his hair, messing the properly kept back golden strands up a bit, while he contemplated how he could put it, so Levi would understand the point he was trying to make. “I don’t want you to exhaust yourself on my behalf. Do you understand that, baby?”

“Yes, daddy.” Levi answered with a small voice, although his head was turned away from his alpha, as he blinked away the tears. 

Erwin stayed next to Levi for another moment, squeezing his knee in a gesture of comfort, before returning to his own chair. They continued their meal in silence, while the alpha tried not to look over to his mate too often. But he could barely help himself, as the fear of having fucked up a nice evening rummaged around in his head. Was he so sick with worry and overly concerned, that he could not have left it alone with an appreciating thank you? Couldn’t he just simply enjoy the domestic bliss, his omega offered up to him so willingly? Did it bother him so much to give away this tiny bit of control, to give it over to someone else and just have faith, even if it was just his own mate? Erwin ground his teeth absent minded, as he fought away the thoughts that threatened to cloud his mind. Instead he looked up and offered a smile to Levi, who had been watching him with concern and confusion in his eyes. The omega was bothered by the fact that he couldn’t sense what emotions held his mate captive.

“So Nana has been here?” Erwin inquired, trying to focus on the positive aspects, instead of kicking his mates efforts with his feet even further. 

Apparently mentioning Nanaba helped and Erwin was glad that Levi made good friends with the other omega, building another bond of trust, one his mated alpha could not provide, since he was constantly on edge about his mate’s well being and distracted by his own natural urges. 

“Yeah, we even have been to the doctor together.” Levi said and put his spoon aside, after he’d finished his soup. 

“And?” Erwin inquired further.

“All good.” Levi sighed, his shoulders sagging a little, from their tense and cramped up hold.

“That’s nice to hear. I am proud of you, baby.” Those news filled Erwin with actual happiness, since having to drag Levi to a doctor in the next few days and the fear of an impending fight about this exact topic had also been occupying his mind. 

“Yeah, she even helped me pick out some bathing salt for you. She said that lavender would calm your nerves.” As he was speaking, Levi made quick work of the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, before the alpha could even think about protesting. Erwin sat there completely baffled, feeling like an idiot for scolding his mate, like he had done before, instead of lathering him up in kisses, as he deserved for putting this much thought into his alpha’s wellbeing.

Levi didn't mean to offend Erwin, maybe he had indeed gone a bit overboard, but he couldn't help himself. It still filled him with remorse, even if Erwin clearly wasn't mad at him, more like overly concerned. He wanted to believe it, when his alpha said, he wasn't a bother to him, but the feeling wouldn't butch. He had been exactly just that, for all of his life and old habits die hard and old feelings even harder. He could basically feel himself retreating back to his little self, ashamed and with his tail between his legs, slipping further away from his hard fought freedom of the day.

He had tried so hard to be better for Erwin, to force himself to keep up and just endure all the feelings, in favor of being his supposed to be adult self, but the tighter he tried to hold on, the more control seemed to slip away from him.

Even with Erwin having dried his tears for the moment, he already felt like balling his eyes out yet again.

"How about taking a bath now, sweetheart?" Erwin asked softly, obviously having discarded his own doubts, as he watched Levi slip away. It was obvious in the way his lips quivered, that he kept biting it and how his hands were fidgeting nervously, as well as how quiet he went after his rant. Erwin had ignored the little stutters, but recognized them well enough by now, as a tell tale sign of his omega being stressed out. Levi avoided looking at him, shrugging his shoulders, as he slid from his chair, stumbling to get to the bathroom.

He had to concentrate on the task at hand, he had to. 

He had wanted to do this for Erwin, so he had to see his plans through. He tried to make out the right button to push for the bathtub plug, through eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears, over his own inability to stay aware enough. Erwin's footsteps echoing after him, as his mate followed him into the en suite. He watched Levi hesitating over the control panel, before he stepped up to his omega, embracing him from behind gently.

"It's alright, you did good." Erwin praised, pressing the correct button and starting the tab to fill the tub with cozy warm water. He let Levi add the bath salts, holding his hand steady, so he wouldn't accidentally empty the whole lot in there, to make them smell like a pack of old grannies ready for bingo night in the process.

Levi leaned back into him, pressing his face into the alpha's bizeps. Erwin helped him undress, noticing Levi's mismatched socks from this morning, finding the display adorably cute on his mate, before getting out of his business suit as well. He noticed the fluffy towels and the heater, everything Levi had so carefully set up, including the flickering LED candles on the shelf above the sink.

"Aww, baby look at this amazing atmosphere you created. You put so much effort in this." Erwin said, stroking Levi's cheek gently, as he dropped a few floaty rubber ducks into the end of the tub for the omega, where they bounced around on the water's edge. They both stepped in and settled themselves. There was enough room for the both of them to lie comfortably, without swishing water over the floor, but Levi choose to stay on top of his daddy's chest, curled up between Erwin's legs, lying partly on his side and partly belly down on Erwin, as he rested his head in the crook of his alpha's neck. 

The warmth was loosening up his muscles, from the death lock they had been in all day and Erwin switched on the jets to make bubbles erupt and gather on the surface around them, some of them, finally taking care of his sore back, from being crammed into the uncomfortable office chair. It was a small bliss, he waited for them both to be covered genuinely, before turning off the tap with a flicker of his finger and embracing Levi again. The omega had even put on some faint classical piano piece, playing softly in the background, as they both relaxed into the hot welcoming water.

"I love you baby." Erwin crooned into the omega's hair, softly patting his back. Levi mouthed something against the skin of his neck, too inaudible for Erwin to make out, but it must have been endearing, because Levi's fingers sprawled out around one of his pectorals kept firmly pressing into his skin, as if he tried to hold on tighter.

As the water cooled down, Erwin shuffled to stand up and scooped Levi up in the process, his omega clinging to him, like a koala clinging onto an especially tasty eucalyptus tree. For a second Erwin was surprised about himself, how well he got along using just one arm. Apparently he was getting quite used to carrying Levi around, but he didn’t mind it, no matter how much Levi felt like a bother to him. He liked to hold his mate tight and close to his body, feeling his warmth and his heartbeat, but found no words to express this sentiment, without sounding like a knot head, attempting to sweet talk the omega into mating, during his delicate state, even when he was perfectly content with just cuddling up to him. 

Instead, he kept his mouth shut, except for an occasional croon and hush, as he dried them both, before bringing Levi into his room to read him a bedtime story and kiss him goodnight. He had another day of work ahead tomorrow, what meant rising early and he wouldn’t want to wake Levi up with his alarm. 

So he waited until Levi fell asleep in his arms, in the middle of a tale and tucked him in, pressing a small kiss onto the omega’s forehead. They could simply finish the tale tomorrow. Erwin paused for a moment to watch his omega and take in every feature of him. It was rare to see him this peaceful and he engraved this picture into his mind, before he turned away to sleep in his own bed.

  
He couldn’t have been asleep for long, maybe two hours, when he was woken up by a quiet creak and small footsteps, the same ones a light person would make, if they would walk only in socks. Soon after, he felt a cold breeze on his back, as the bed sheet was lifted up, followed by a slight dip of the mattress, as his omega crawled in next to him, careful not to touch Erwin, as if not to wake him up. Not really awake, Erwin turned around to face Levi, who looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights. His omega crouched next to him, the big plushie lama Erwin had gifted him, clutched tightly in his arms and turned his head away. Even in the dark of the room, only illuminated by faint moonlight, he could see a red blush on the pale cheeks, his mate being all flustered, that he had woken up the alpha. 

“Can I sleep here, daddy?” Levi muttered, clutching the plushie in his arms tighter to his chest. 

“’Curse baby.” The alpha was barely able to finish the sentence, interrupting himself with a big yawn, only to immediately fall asleep again, after instinctively pulling his omega closer to his chest, spooning him.

  
  



	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, it's been a while, but surgery went okayish, just recovering is hell. Blimey, I thought I would have so much time on my hands to get the next chapter edited in time, just to realize, that karma is a bitch. Post OP pain was and still is nasty as all hell, since it barely been 5 days. So to be honest with you, I'm either sleeping or high as a fucking kite on painkillers, and neither is a good foundation to edit on. It takes all of my will power to not scratch the itchy stitches.  
Well, it took me a while, but I hope therefore you will like the update just that tiny bit more, as we move along in the story line.  
And just to clear up some confussion, while I do have personal experience in PTSD therapy, I'd rather not wanted to go into detail about it, because it is different for everybody. I also didn't want to set myself off, while writing of course, or give out false hope, by making it look too easy peasy, bc it's not. So yeah don't bitch me out in the comments, about "skipping" on the essentials and letting it happen off screen.  
I'm also really nervous about some of the editing, bc I got so messed up about save and safe, and when to use what. Damn, English is still only my second language after all, so have mercy, or point out my fuck ups, so I can correct them later. - Thank you! <3  
I hope you are all doing well and alive in these crazy times. - Satu

When he woke up, he couldn’t remember how Levi had gotten into his bed, but he felt immediately bad about it, the moment his alarm clock went off, filling the room with its angry ringing and of course also waking up Levi in the process. The worst part in the morning for Erwin was having to let go of his partner in his arms. Feeling the warmth so close to him, made him want to stay in bed all day and do nothing at all but cuddling especially, since the days grew colder and colder with every passing day, Christmas came closer. 

Levi watched him with tired eyes, as he reluctantly stood up to prepare for the day. He had timed the alarm a bit earlier, so he could prepare breakfast for Levi, this time it being pancakes, which he decorated into a smiley face with various kinds of fruits: Half a banana as a mouth, strawberry slices with a dip of dark chocolate in the middle as eyes, orange slices as eyebrows and a bit of pear, as a nose surrounded by a wild afro out of raspberries and blueberries. The alpha had to admit that he was quite proud of his creation, but with a look to the clock it was unfortunately already time to give his goodbyes to Levi.

“Sorry for the alarm.” Erwin started, as he sat down on the bed next to Levi. “This is why I left to sleep alone. I didn’t want to wake you at stupid asscrack of dawn.” 

“It’s fine. I’ll just go back to sleep when you are gone.” Levi yawned sleepily

“You shouldn’t have to in the first place.” Erwin insisted.

“But I want to. It is worth it, as long as I can sleep next to you, daddy.” Levi protested and the pouting could even be heard in his voice.

“Because of the nightmares?” Erwin inquired, the worry in his alpha’s words was obvious and he as much as he tried to trust his omega in his decisions, he had a hard time keeping the worry away from gnawing at his heart, the second the slightest discomfort for his mate arose. 

“Yes. But also, because you are comfy and warm like a heater.” Levi deadpanned. “You make me feel safe.” the omega sighed softly.

And this is exactly why Erwin had a hard time leaving Levi’s side in the morning, knowing that he would not see him for hours. His mantra of “You are doing this for him. You are doing this for him!” echoed through his mind. 

“I am your personal heater. Out of order for now, but at your service again tonight, sweet boy.” He chuckled, kissing Levi goodbye and leaving for the office. It amazed him how much progress Levi had made, that this was even possible. That Levi felt safe with him. 

There was no other words than that he was a maniac at work, finishing file after file and going through everything Nile had his fingers on, with the sole purpose to gather as much information as he could, before the trial, that it would secure the bastard a lifetime of being locked away in prison for what he had done. 

Without a doubt Levi wasn’t the only one, that had to suffer at the hands of this reckless piece of trash and he had already found out so much about the fucker, that he didn’t comprehend, how he had even been able to oversee so much suspicious crap, all these years they had been working together. Seeing all the evidence in his hands, the numbers that didn’t match up and even mails, that surely weren’t work related. Erwin felt sick to the stomach, that because of his ignorance, he was at least partly guilty for Levi’s prolonged suffering.

‘It didn’t need Nile, you made him suffer all by yourself, during rut.’ Shot through his head, before he focused on the task at hand again. Sure he had fucked up and it might have had the power to destroy Levi, but it might as well not have been as bad, as the reality they were facing right now. Even though it did nothing to excuse his terrible behaviour all those months ago, when he had allowed his instincts to override his sanity upon meeting Levi in his library.

Erwin decided that he could leave early as well, since most of the others had already left the building. It was snowing outside and the Christmas Markets had opened up recently, so everyone wanted to enjoy them, as long as the perfect white winter dream lasted. Days like those were rare and Erwin kind of felt the mood for the first time, now also having someone at home to cuddle with, during these cold days. Although he knew that it would be a bad idea to drag Levi to a christmas market - too many people, too loud, too many impressions, that could overwhelm him easily. Even Nanaba avoided them at all costs. Mike had tried to take her along once, but did regret it for a whole week afterwards. 

Instead of going out, Erwin bought Levi an advent calendar for his room, filled with chocolate and toys in all kinds of shapes, thinking that his mate might appreciate that. Erwin surely liked them as a child and was guilty of buying himself plain chocolate ones, year after year despite being grown up. 

When he finally arrived at home, still a bit early and tiny snowflakes gracing his hair, melting and dripping onto his forehead, he was surprised to not only hear Levi clutter around in the kitchen, but hearing him talk to another person. 

Immediately he went into full alert mode, ready to fight whoever broke into his apartment and held his mate captive in the kitchen. As he recognized the other voice, he felt relieved, as much as he felt foolish, but wondered why Hanji was there, with Levi, in his kitchen.

  
  


Levi had hesitated to open the door, when a knock sounded, afraid that it would be Marie again and cursing, that they didn't have a peephole. He was tempted not to open up and prepared to pretend that nobody was home, but he knew he had already made too much noise to be convincing. He buried himself in Erwin's sweater, opening up the door for only a small crack, peeking out through an inch, ready to throw it back in the lock, when he had noticed Hanji standing on their doorstep.

He remembered Moblit saying something about them stopping by, so he let them in wordlessly, locking the door back up, as they peered down at him with a soft smile.

"Hi Levi. Nice to see you." Hanji said joyfully, thankfully keeping their hands to themselves, as Levi kept hugging himself awkwardly. He didn't know what to say, without sounding stupid. He could already feel the stutter vibrating in his throat, ready to release and make him look like an idiot. He chose to nod silently instead, as he returned to the kitchen, he had been heading towards, before they had knocked.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your day, but Moblit told me you've been by and wanted to talk to me. Which by the way I'm really proud of you for doing that. It must have been really hard to go there all by yourself, eh?" Levi nodded again, busying his hands with making tea, offering an empty cup to Hanji in invitation. He didn't want to look like a shitty host, if they had taken time out of their day, to come out and talk to him.

"T… t… tea?" He rubbed his toe against the tile underneath his mismatching socks, casting his eyes down in embarrassment.

"That would be lovely, dear. I read through your file at the office, noticing you asked to switch medications. But Moblit didn't elaborate why. Like don't worry, he sometimes forgets to take notes, even though he's listening. But I just wanted to make sure, to have the full picture." They chatted easily, not mentioning his slip up at all. "Of course, we could be waiting for Erwin to come home, if you prefer that. I brought extra time." They smiled excessively, gesturing with their hands.

"It's… O..kay." Levi said very slowly, daring to glance up at the crazy four eyed doctor. He had managed to go see Moblit, he could take care of this as well. If they got it out of the way, before Erwin would come home, it would be even better. He refused to let Hanji into his room or the safe room, instead leading them over to the living room, with their teacups in tow, where he snuggled up on the abandoned blanket. One of Erwin's picture books from the safe room, was still laying open on the coffee table plain to see.

"So why did you want to get off the meds?" Hanji asked again, having settled down in the armchair opposite him.

"They make me… sleepy and weird. They… don't really help." He mumbled, clutching the tea cup closer, taking extra pauses between the words, to avoid stuttering.

"But you said, you had trouble sleeping." Hanji pointed out gently.

"Not.. I don't wanna sleep." Levi sighed, peeking up at them through his fringe. "I don't feel better afterwards. Like… like every.. everything is really slow then, like I'm... I’m dr… drunk." The omega shuddered saying it. Just the word drunk was enough to let Nile's stupid visage pop up.

"So you have nightmares?" Hanji inquired. Levi nodded, still tense all over.

"Okay. I can understand that. Do you always have them, or just on the medication?" Levi held up one finger, to signal it was the first option. He was still busy trying to shove Nile out of his head. Hanji picked up on his distraction immediately, as they waited for him to elaborate. But Levi didn't. "On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being fucking awful, how bad are they?" Levi grimaced, as he curled up tighter.

"Try… 150." He mumbled, taking a hesitant sip of his tea. He rubbed a hand across his face, this conversation was already giving him a headache. Hanji asked him to describe the dreams, but he shook his head in denial. Fear already turned in his gut, as he grabbed the blanket, to hide himself away. Hanji took note of his behaviour, making their own assumptions. To have Erwin over, would help provide insight, since Levi seemed overwhelmed with the conversation all by himself. 

He had thought it would be easier to talk to them, since he already knew them, but his lips remained sealed. Even with the words waiting on the tip of his tongue, he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Saying it out loud would make it more real.

"Do your dreams relate to what happened with Erwin?" Hanji tried prying.

"NO!" Levi was quick to object, already feeling like crying. He wanted his stuffy and Erwin. Talking to Hanji had been a bad idea.

"That's good to hear. Are they related to what happened a few weeks ago, when you've last been in the ER of the omega house?" they pressed on, knowing they were walking on a tightrope. Levi closed his eyes in agony, hiding his face in the blanket, as his shoulders started to shake. It took all of his dignity to give a small nod, not knowing, if Hange had noticed.

"It's ok to be scared, you don't have to tell me anything right now. But I guess running away from yourself won't solve that either." They noted gently.

"Fuck you! I hate you!" Levi shouted from underneath his blanket, tears already falling down his face.

"That's fine, too. But don't you hate to feel like this?" Hanji objected, trying to reason with the omega, but Levi just cried, curling himself into a blanket burrito. Hanji was a horrible person. How could they say all this shit out loud so easily? He envied them and felt just a tad more pathetic.

"Levi, dear. I'm not going to fight you on this, but I do believe that you want to be better, right? You want that, and in order to get there, you might need some assistance and it's not bad at all to ask for it. Okay? I mean, you wouldn't have asked for me otherwise, I assume. There's plenty of possibilities…." They went on, sipping on their own tea, while Levi refused to come back out. Instead he wanted to get away, and Erwin would probably be hungry. Erwin had to be, so he would be better off making dinner, before his mate got home. Concentrating on that and ignoring Hanji's rumbling, he got up and hurried back into the kitchen. 

He stood there still crying, as if he had forgotten what it was, he was about to do, while Nile's nasty laugh echoed in his ears. He scratched at it first, knocking his palm against one ear repeatedly, in order to make the fucker shut up, while Hanji kept observing him.

He was so sick of being sick and fucking badshit crazy, bothering everybody with his cheer existence.

"Levi, calm down. Come on. Nothing bad is going to happen from us talking." They tried to encourage him, as Levi fell to his knees, to curl up on the kitchen floor. 

"But d… d… does." He wailed, hugging himself, all thoughts of self preservation leaving him.

"Okay, what bad thing is happening." Hanji pried, kneeling down to grab a hold of the omega's frantic hands, to keep him from hurting himself.

"Laughing." Levi squeezed out in between harsh breathing. Kenny had joined the party for shit and giggles on the omega's behalf, which in turn made it harder to understand what Hanji was saying.

"Nobody is laughing, it's just us here." the beta reassured the shaking mess in front of them.

"No.. no.. you.. you lying. He should SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Levi screeched, kicking his feet out and hitting the dining table harshly.

"Levi, there's nobody laughing and whoever you hear right now is not here!" Hanji repeated firmly, their heart going out to the omega, as they tried to talk him down from the flashback, he was obviously experiencing. Touching him was no use, because it made him kick and flay his hands around. They stuck to the protocol of a normal reality check, walking Levi through it, one step at a time, until he had calmed down at least a bit and was able to fix his eyes on them again.

"Yeah, that's good. Look at me. It's just us." Hanji glanced over their shoulder, as they heard the front door unlocking, figuring it must be Erwin finally coming home. "And that's Erwin coming home." They added on as an afterthought, contemplating, if it wouldn't be more beneficial to treat Levi's obvious PTSD inpatient. But the way he was fighting strangers, it would be hard to get him to agree. 

Erwin looked worn out, almost a bit accusatory, as he hurried over to them, having caught Hanji's last words, already adding up that they might have had upset Levi.

His mate was quick to reach out for his daddy, in between snot and tears, as Erwin picked him up and held him close. The omega’s small frame was still shaking against his chest, as Levi buried his nose in his alpha’s scent gland.

"Great to see you, Erwin. We were just having a bit of a chat, but I guess it was a little much for your munchkin." The alpha gave them a sceptical raised eyebrow in return, ready to kick the four eyes out, without regret, but they seemed genuinely concerned. 

They retreated to the living room, where Erwin wrapped Levi back up in the blanket, holding him tight, as he waited for Hanji to explain.

He didn't like what he was hearing and he didn't like that Levi was retreating back into himself. His eyes were closed and he was sucking on his thumb, pressed up close to his mate's heartbeat, as they kept talking about him and his treatment.

Hanji stopped pressing the issue of getting Levi to talk more and for himself, as Erwin tugged down the blanket for an inch, showing Levi's exhausted face.

"I'm worried and I acknowledge that you are worried too. But if you keep needling him, he will just get worse." Erwin said sternly, as they went back to planning, while Levi was passed out asleep on his alpha's chest. 

Erwin objected to the idea to shove Levi into a crazy ward, even on limited time. He couldn't be convinced otherwise, knowing it hadn't even benefited Nanaba back in the days, so why should it work for Levi.

"What do you suggest instead Erwin? How shall I talk to him, if he doesn't open up." Hanji inquired. They were aware that after all the alpha would have the last word, regarding his mate's treatment, since he was the one paying for it in the end.

"I don't really know, this…” he gestured to Levi still suckling on his thumb, peacefully. “It seems to help him, but I don't want him to lose himself in this. I remember, that there was this one place Mike had taken Nana to, that seemed to make a world of difference." He sighed, only remembering it vaguely.

"Do you mean the center up on the top floor? The one with the ball pit and the light therapy room?" Hanji tried to help out.

"Yes that one." He affirmed.

"It might do the trick by a very long shot. However, it's no problem for me to book a room there for his next appointments. Maybe we should keep the talks to a 30 minute maximum for now. But is there any other room Levi feels safe in, that would help?" 

"He likes his room and he has a safe room, but I don't want you talking about Nile's rancid dick in there." Erwin spat.

"Sounds fair game. I will talk to the girls running the center, to book room for Levi, and you better make room for these appointments too, Erwin. I have a feeling you would both benefit from talking about what happened. Don't act like I wouldn't notice, all the anger you keep inside and all the tension in your body." Hanji pointed out.

"I will. But please, share and tell, how I am supposed to not be angry, with the trial coming up, smart ass? What am I supposed to do, if they ask Levi to take the stand?" Erwin hissed, one hand protectively cupping the back of Levi's head.

"Then I will ask Moblit to write an opposition, that will object this, because it would cause harm to the patient. While you will go tell them that you don't want your mate taking the stand and they will have to suck it up. They won't care about what he has to say anyway. You know that Erwin. They would make it look like he wanted it and shit like that. Even judge Jude wouldn't help with that. We don't have time for this shit." Hanji quoted the TV meme, as they righted their glasses, offering to take the teacups to the sink.

“You are right, Hanji. Thank you so much for your effort.” Erwin agreed and handed the teacups over to Hanji. “Maybe you should come back another time, to discuss the details for the meetings with me, and Levi should he feel up to it. Surely you need to check your own schedule, too, and how it all fits together with the room booking. I think he would especially take a liking to the ball pit.” 

“I will, don’t you dare hope, that I’ll forget about it. You won’t get me off your back so easily.” Hanji teased in a joking manner, despite them putting not much effort into hiding the serious undertone in their voice. Leaning closer to Erwin so Levi would not wake up, they continued. “I know you don’t like this. I know you hate seeing him in pain and distress, but believe me, when I tell you, that this is necessary and I am not doing this for fun. I need you on board with this. The moment Levi will notice that you are disagreeing, with what we are doing, he won’t try hard enough anymore, for this to work. So please, Erwin, trust me on this.” Hanji’s voice almost seemed pleading, indicating that this was really important to them and they wanted this to work out for Levi, as much as Erwin did. After all, they both knew that the omega’s PTSD needed serious treatment and couldn’t remain ignored.

Still, Erwin felt hesitant about this. He did value Hanji’s input, especially in their sensible moments, after they dropped the façade of the crazy lunatic and revealed their smart mind. But he had trouble accepting anything, that might upset Levi and fuck him up even more. On the other hand, he had no other option, since he was by far no expert on the matter. 

He was more used to dealing with anxiety and some anger management, therefore it was quite the opposite, to what Levi needed from him right now. The omega was anything but violent in his outbursts, except for harming himself in the process.

The moment a threat arose, Erwin would feel a strong urge pushing him to confront said trigger immediately, if possible destroy its roots and make sure it could never grow back again. So far in life, this had saved him a lot of trouble, but regarding Levi and the latest events, it could mean big trouble for them, if he wouldn’t learn to better control himself. Still he didn’t like to be called out, in such a straightforward manner, by Hanji of all people, telling him that he needed to talk about his anger and frustrations. 

He did not quite comprehend how this might improve his situation, since it wouldn’t solve his problems. But,if Levi would benefit from this in the long term, the alpha was willing to give it a try, despite feeling skeptic about it. Especially considering that talking to Mike hadn’t worked out that well, the last time he had tried to voice his instinct ridden problems.

“I trust you, Hanji. But you need to know, if this won’t work, that I will not participate in hurting him any further.” This was as much agreeing to this, as he was currently capable off and it seemed certainly better than shipping his omega off to some mental ward, where they would be separated. Levi wouldn’t make it through a stay on the ward and Erwin hated to admit it, he wouldn’t be able to endure it as well. The thought, that his mate would be suffering, while there was no way to get to him, would drive the alpha insane. 

When Levi started to move in Erwins arms, rolling around and changing position more frequently, indicating that he might wake up, again soon, Hanji decided to take their leave. They would text him, about how they would schedule the following sessions, after checking their calendar. They were already wondering if they should add in some extra sessions for just Erwin, since Levi hiding in his little mindset, seemed to fuel the alpha’s possessive strike. But Erwin would need to agree to all of that first anyway.

  
  


Erwin still held Levi closely, as the omega started to wake up, eyes fluttering open, as he curled up in Erwin’s lap, like a baby kitten ready to be petted. The alpha indulged him, stroking his hair and back gently. 

“You have been so brave, today, baby. I am so proud of you.” He crooned and proceeded to tell Levi in simple words, what he had discussed with Hanji, that they would mostly go to a different place to talk, instead of meeting up at their home.

During this he felt Levi tense up a bit in his arms, but he made sure to mention the ball pit in the other building and promised him that they would definitely try it out some time. The way Erwin kept his voice calm and reassuring, as well as the promise of a reward seemed to ease Levi’s nervousness, about what might happen in the future for at least a little bit. Suddenly a rumbling coming from Erwin’s stomach interrupted the lazy silence, that had enveloped the mated pair and despite being obviously exhausted from the former event, Levi’s eyes shot up to him with a guilty look, like it was his sole fault, that his poor alpha was about to starve, after a hard day of work. He didn’t want to get into it with Levi again, that he shouldn’t exhaust himself, trying to be useful. But Erwin didn’t want to make it worse, like he had yesterday with his bickering. Just right in time, before Levi could manage to scramble from his lap, Erwin came up with the perfect solution.

“So how about breakfast for dinner and a bedtime story, sweety?”

They did spend the rest of the evening in domestic bliss. Erwin's scrambled eggs were becoming one of Levi's favourites fast and he was happy to have his alpha back with him. 

  
  


Hanji had kept their promise and despite his wariness and feeling scared, sometimes even dreading the appointments, Levi was looking forward to them. The light therapy room, they used to talk in, kept him calm and he could lay there with Erwin, for an additional hour on the padded floor, filled with cushions and blankets, while soft music played in the background and the light slowly kept changing in the dim room. 

Levi liked when the blues turned into reds and oranges like sunrise, while being safely cuddled up in Erwin's protective strong arms, after an exhausting talk with Hanji. He liked the ball pit too, but not as much as the changing lights overhead. He even contemplated asking Erwin to install something similar in his room back home.

It helped and the soft green hue, the lights emitted, whenever he was talking to Hanji, made it seem more safe, considering all the hurtful stuff, that left his lips and Erwin's resentful anger, that sometimes joined in, when they opened up to each other, baring insecurities and doubts.

Even without a restored bonding mark Levi started to feel more at peace with Erwin, understanding where he was coming from and why he acted like an overbearing ass sometimes, when he was just so worried about his omega.

There was a significant difference between feeling cared for in the moment and actually knowing how much the alpha cared about him. How heavy the weight on his shoulders must be. 

Hanji was by no means a certified therapist, but their unusual ideas seemed to help. Neither them, nor Erwin ever scolded him for slipping back into little space, but he started to understand that it shouldn't be a space to hide away, but one to feel safe and take a breather. The demons had to be faced, no matter how scared it made him feel.

He hated to reenact certain scenes, they had just recently started with that, because it stressed him out a lot, but he tried to be positive, that there was a reason Hanji had suggested that. 

They might be a crazy four eyed doctor and a lot didn't make sense at first, but Hanji knew more than he did and more than Erwin did, so he would gladly take it. They never failed to remind him that they had supervision on their work, so he shouldn't feel bad for burdening them. Hanji possibly had some psychiatrist friendo, they kept discussing his case with.

Nile's trial was starting, which kept Erwin away from home and spaced his appointments out by some, since otherwise they would be meeting in the evening. Levi still needed a few hours afterwards, to regain his composure, so meeting this late would disturb his already insomniac sleeping pattern. Erwin tried his hardest to be of assistance, relaxing baths, cheerful dinners and a simple tub of ice cream, shared among them every once in a while helped, but eventually the nightmares would catch up with his omega every other night regardless.

Hanji called it, his brain going through the motions, trying to process what happened. That the more they kept addressing the problem, the worse they would most likely get, but they would eventually lessen and stop altogether. Or that’s at least the theory by the book, only time would tell, if Levi would get this lucky eventually.

On the second advent Erwin finally was granted a day off and the trial was put on pause, reviewing new papers, that had been submitted as evidence for fraud, when Levi finally plucked up enough courage to ask Erwin something vital.

They had spent the morning in easy company, cuddling, light kissing and Levi seeking out his alpha's warmth. He had been tracing unknown patterns on his daddy's strong chest, when he looked up at Erwin's warm blue gaze.

"Daddy?" He inquired a little nervously.

"Yes, my sweet darling?" Erwin was quick to reply.

"Could we go out today? I want to show you something. It's… it's really important to me." Levi whispered.

Erwin was stunned, having thought it would be another easy day spent inside. Levi usually didn't leave the apartment, unless they had an appointment, or he wanted to pick up some specific groceries, Erwin didn’t bring along, on his weekly shopping run after hours.

"Of course we can, where do you wanna go?" He asked gently, petting his mates hair.

"Surprise." Levi gave a small smile. "Can Mr. Plush come along?" He looked down at his stuffy, he was holding close. Erwin's eyes crinkled at the corners, as he smiled back.

"Absolutely no problem at all, sweety." 

They took their time getting ready, since it was bitter cold winter outside. Erwin wrapped a thick silver scarf around Levi's small neck, along with the same soft knitted toque.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again, thank you everybody, for your continuing support. It really means a lot to us. I hope you will enjoy the new chapter, I was hesitant to post at first, but decided to just say fuck it.  
I'm always happy abut your replies, but I wasn't last week, when we got a hate comment. I'm usually really open to critics, I'm far from perfect! But this person was just being really rude and offensive and over all an asshole. I decided to delete their comment, because it upset me a lot. So at this stage of the story. For anybody new joining in to read:  
PLEASE READ THE TAGGS! READ THE WARNINGS! If you don't like it, there is an X at the top!  
Just be nice okay, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anyting at all! The world is a shit enough place, without adding negative stuff to a story on the internet. I have a feeling some people forget, that we are writing this for FREE in our FREE time! We don't even need to publish it here, if we don't feel like it!  
The reasons I'm uploading my fanfics is not cloud. Some of you might know, that I'm half blind and almost blind on my remaining eye. I love books, I've always loved books and I know, not everybody can effort books, or even to read books just for leisure, that they don't have the money to go to a store and pick up anything they like. That some people don't even have enough books to help them learn reading. I want to give these people a chance, to read stuff they like without having to pay for it. So you are welcome to read my stuff, but don't be an ass about it! - Satu

Levi had been adamant that they took Erwin's car, to avoid slipping on the icy sidewalks, and he timidly gave directions, as he led Erwin through lunch traffic, towards his old home. Kenny's house.

He wasn't sure in which condition it would be in, since he last had been by, but the risk of walking into one of Nile's goons was slim during daylight hours, with Nile still firmly locked up.

Sometimes he would dare ask Erwin about the trial proceedings, but the alpha would only summarize and brush it off, to not set him off. He didn't lie, but he also wasn't dumping it all onto his omega either and Levi really appreciated that.

He did stick with pointing out the more light occurrences during their ride, to keep the weight off of Levi, especially since it seemed like whatever he wanted to show to Erwin, it held great personal meaning to the omega. Despite the underlying distress Levi’s whole body basically radiated, he was still trying to listen to Erwin recounting Mike's testimony, from the week prior. He had simply asked to distract Erwin, from the bombshell they were walking into, rather than actual curiosity, in Mike’s testimony in court. The omega chose, that showing this to his alpha was more important. 

As the houses on the sideway grew shabbier and shabbier with every minute they drove, Erwin had a suspicion, where exactly they might be heading to. Every ounce of his body screamed at him to take a U-turn and drive back home, since this couldn’t only be dangerous, but also could prove to be too much for his mate, to go back to that fateful place. 

Although Erwin doubted that anyone would be stupid enough to hunt them down, in broad daylight no less, the possibility of endangering his mate, during a confrontation with Nile’s associates set his blood boiling – on the other hand it was ridiculous to assume, that Nile had anyone left in this whole town, that would come and help him out.

During the trial Zeke had made his disapproval clear, by sending Eren, who not only testified against Nile to everyone's surprise – Nile’s dumb mug was to die for, as realization hit him and Erwin regretted, that he hadn’t been able to snap a picture of that expression. Although the judge had to call the boy out, for the rude gesture he threw at Nile – flipping the bird in an especially disrespectful manner – he hadn’t been able to hide an amused gleam in his eyes, before he continued with the proceedings. 

Someday, he might go into detail and tell Levi the whole story of the trial, but for now, he kept it brief, as he didn’t want to overwhelm him and ruin any progress they had made together during therapy. 

Gripping the wheel tighter and focusing on the road ahead, Erwin chose to trust Levi on this. It was one of the points regarding himself he had worked on in therapy after all, instead of listening to his worry fueled first instinct of ‘grab your mate and bring him home’. 

The first time Hanji had pointed out, how overly possessive and worried he was, he hadn’t liked it at all, but the more often he paused to analyze, where these feelings were coming from, the more he recognized them and had the opportunity to think them over, before succumbing to be just as shit of an alpha, as the majority of them. 

He was probably just overthinking things like usual, Erwin told himself. After all Levi had been to this place before, together with Mike and he also had been in a very bad state at this point of time, but it had still been fine in the end. Erwin liked to think that they had made enough progress to handle this together. This exact fact, probably being the reason Levi had brought this up and was now staring out of the window, with an unreadable expression, with Mr Plush hugged tight to his chest.

Maybe his worries about how Levi might handle, being inside his old home – or whatever it was, Erwin had a feeling, that the word ‘home’ wasn’t a very fitting expression to describe the place – were partly projections of his own doubts, about how he would handle to be exposed to Levi’s former life, to see with his own eyes the remains of what cruel things had happened to his mate, to eventually lead him down such a dangerous path. 

“We’re here.” Levi’s voice interrupted his alpha’s musings.

Erwin followed Levi’s blank gaze out of the window to his right and his eyes immediately fell onto a shabby house at the side of the small side street. It looked as if there was no way anyone would still be living inside of it, nor had been for ages, as the building seemed like it was about to crumble any minute and would be best taken care of with a wrecking ball, asap. 

“This is-“ Levi’s voice hitched, as he had trouble breathing. “This is Kenny’s house.”

Regarding the circumstances, it was weird that Erwin felt a twinge of content at Levi’s choice of wording. The small fact that the omega didn’t even call it his former home instead, made it easier for the alpha to keep his emotions at bay, no matter how much hatred the name Kenny associated within him. As much as he knew, the fucker was long dead and regarding Levi, this was a blessing for the world. 

Erwin decided to keep this in mind, as both men stepped out of the car, to cross the last yards to the house. Levi was marching ahead steadily, arms slung around Mr. Plush firmly, holding him in front of his body, as a makeshift shield, as if the soft object could keep all the bad things away from him. Despite that, determination was shining in the gray eyes of his precious omega, growing stronger and stronger, with every step they took closer to the object.

Erwin followed suit, eyes taking in his surroundings and also checking for any unwelcome guests, that might surprise them. As expected they were alone, there seemed to be no one left, that might want to revenge Nile, so the alpha did his best to calm his mind, but also remained hyper aware of every detail around them. The clicking of Levi’s keys echoing in his ears loudly, fully aware that nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to witness.

  
  


Levi noticed that considering the outside, nothing much seemed to have changed, since his last visit. There was a new sign put up declaring trespassers would face consequences and to stay away from the construction side. 

If the construction side meant, there was the wrecking ball waiting for this, then they might as well enter. The barbed wire fence was still torn in places, maybe a little worse for wear, since the last time, he'd been here with Mike, rotting away to copper colored dust. The windows were still nailed shut, but there was about a third of the planking missing from the living room window. 

What a fucking useless tool, scraping off the wood, when the bolt and lock still dangled loosely in the frame. 

Levi had forgotten about that part, so he put his jingling keys back into the pocket of his pants, since he wouldn't be needing them after all. Instead he clung to Mr. Plush more tightly. The state hadn't even bothered to waste money and a bolt and lock to secure the area.

He had a reason to be here today, the house no longer held anything valuable of possession, but he wanted Erwin to know where he came from. How he had been living his life, prior to meeting the alpha and what eventually had led him into the shitshow with Nile. He couldn't shake the suspicion that after all the alpha did never really comprehend what he had taken on. Despite all the positive thoughts, reassurances and countless encouragements during his therapy sessions, the feeling of being a worthless pile of shit, stuck to the bottom of Erwin's precious luxurious Oxfords was hard to shake.

He had trouble accepting that he deserved to be treated with respect and like an actual person, to accept his own shortcomings, that didn't turn him into trash. It was like black met white all of a sudden, turning Levi gray. They were an alpha and an omega from different worlds. He couldn't understand how they fit together in that jigsaw puzzle. 

He wasn't sure, if he was showing Erwin this, because he wanted to drive him away, or for him to finally understand, that Levi would never really fit in with the high society and standards, required for living with one Erwin Smith. 

Maybe by introducing his mate to the bottomless pit of despair, that was Levi's past and upbringing, he would realize what a pile of trash his mate was and finally dump his sorry ass.

The electricity had finally been turned off, nothing changed, as Levi flickered the switch, leaving them both in semi darkness, as they entered the hallway. The shadows appeared even longer like that. The broken planks, the front door and some inches of sunlight shining in through the cracks, was all the light they had at their disposal. 

The place was still a mess of smashed wood, turned over knick knacks and shit. The slashed mattress had been moved over to the moldy wall of the living room, the kitchen sink was missing altogether and all doors except for the front door were gone. It had been bad before, but now it was just unusable. Levi doubted even a homeless drug addict would spend a night at a place like this. 

The ceiling had finally caved and collapsed completely at the far end, crashing the remains of the staircase, with a dingy bathtub sticking out at the top, of the pile of metal and splintered wood, leaving the hallway only at half of its original size.

"My room used to be upstairs. There were 2 bedrooms and one bath up there." Levi murmured, waiting for Erwin to say something, anything. The alpha had been walking around, peeking into the accessible rooms, before returning to Levi's side, who stepped closer, suddenly feeling exposed by his surroundings.

"It wasn't this fucked, when I last lived here. The stairs were still up, but I didn't go upstairs anymore. I had a room back there." He pointed to the missing end of the hallway.

"I doubt anyone could still live here. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that you did." Erwin confessed.

"It still had electricity, even if all but one lamp were broken. The water had been shut off a long time ago, but I used to steal some from my neighbours working pipe. I was hardly here, other than to sleep, anyway." Levi explained, looking up into his alpha's blue gaze.

"How could you even operate from a base like this?" Erwin wondered out aloud, stepping back under the sky, afraid the house would crumple, if he so much as sneezed in there, from all the dust and dirt swirling around.

Levi followed him, watching Erwin's every move, as he put a bit of distance between himself and the house.

Maybe he would finally say goodbye after all?

"I had all the stuff I needed at my boss’s place." He didn't say Farlan's name out loud, just in case, still wondering, who might be listening in on their little exchange.

"I see. However, I'm actually glad you no longer need to live here. I probably wouldn't have survived a single week in these conditions." Erwin said earnestly, waiting for Levi to come back over. "I'm very impressed, but also kind of strangely proud of you, for pulling through this. To be honest, if I would have been in your place, I would have broken into my own apartment as well and possibly lived in my own storage closet, at the end of the hall, without you noticing." the alpha joked. Levi was looking at him wide eyed in surprise, he hadn't been expecting a reaction like this from his daddy. He hesitantly made a few steps closer to where Erwin was leaning against his car, still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Was his mate for real?

Levi opened and closed his mouth, without any words coming out, stumbling the last few steps forward, pressing into Erwin's chest with his stuffy still clutched tight, as the first few tears of many, started to flow freely down his face.

"You will always have a home with me sweetie. You never need to return to living like this, or even to this place." Erwin murmured, hugging his mate close. "You are my mate and my sweet, adorable, baby boy and you will always stay with me, wherever I may go, alright? I would be a bad daddy for abandoning you at such a place. You deserve the world." Erwin soothed his crying omega, he could feel Levi clutching tighter, as he choked on silent wet sobs.

What did he ever do, to deserve such a precious person, like his daddy?

Seeing how much Levi had endured in his life, Erwin almost felt foolish for worrying so much about his mate, even if it was almost second nature to him as an alpha. Truth to be told, Erwin wasn’t sure if he would have handled living like this, seeing as his upbringing had been decent. He had been raised in the upper middle class, but by all means his parents hadn’t been as wealthy, as he currently was, by his own hard work. 

In contrast to Levi, he had never lacked a single thing in his childhood, had a loving father that cared for him, even as his mother had passed away, and a good education to top it all off. Together with his charming personality and good looks, it was obvious that he was an overachiever, in everything that he laid an eye on. In comparison to his mate, life had been very kind to him and despite knowing that the world wasn’t this nice to everyone, it was a whole different experience all together to actually see, where his mate’s origins lay. It made him love Levi even more. 

Levi was so strong, he would survive anything that life threw at him and continue to fight. 

Although it pained him deeply to see that Levi had to live like this, it made him proud to call him his mate. Erwin vowed that Levi would never have to put up a strong façade, in order to survive ever again. 

He would give the world to him and he told him so, as he hugged Levi closer to his body and waited patiently, until his omega’s sobs died down. It was obvious to the alpha, that this wasn’t the reaction Levi must have anticipated, as he felt his omega shiver softly in his arms.

Erwin had trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that his baby boy thought that he would ever be abandoned, or might have even shown this to his alpha, in the hope that realization would hit and make him abandon the ‘unworthy’ omega. 

“Do you want to go back and take a look, in case you might need anything left in there at home, baby?” Erwin inquired. “Is there anything left, that holds a special value to you?” 

Levi shook his head no, mumbling a shy “I have everything I need.” As he looked up to his alpha in a coy manner, that made Erwin’s heart skip a beat. The omega clearly had no clue how adorable he was, chewing on his bottom lip, before he hesitantly added on: “But I would like to go back for a moment, just to say goodbye.” 

After giving Levi another sip of water to drink, they headed back into the crumbling building. Standing in the middle of it again, Erwin loosened his grip on Levi, but still stayed close by his side, as he gave his mate as much time, as he needed, to say goodbye to this place. But he still kept in mind that they shouldn’t stay there for too long, the ceiling didn’t look that stable anymore, every now and then little pieces of dust and stone were raining down on them. 

With his blue eyes focused on the gray ones, so close to him, Erwin leaned down to kiss Levi lovingly, as all of a sudden a rather large portion of dirt crumbled from above, directly onto his head, clouding them in dirt, as he instinctively hunched over to protect Levi. As the dust started to settle and cleared, Erwin coughing quite a bit, ready to call it quits for today, but he stopped right in time to hear footsteps coming closer, accompanied by the distant voices of two men – probably construction workers. They were coming closer and closer accompanied by the dull huffing and scruffing of a very large machine engine in tow.

“This place really looks like shit.” One of the men said and the other barked out a rough laugh.

“You betcha. Has been empty for years, heard that the owner died ages ago. Dunno why they waited this long to finally tear it down.” The other responded. 

Erwin and Levi exchanged alarmed glances, as they could get a peek on the two approaching betas, through the slit of a boarded up window. The loud vehicle, they had heard approaching, turned out to be a crane, carrying a wrecking ball. 

“We need to get out of here.” Erwin mumbled and Levi immediately dashed for the front door, only to be gently held back by his alpha, who slung an arm around his waist. “We can’t go through the front door.” Erwin added, not needing to mention, that he desperately wanted to avoid any legal consequences for trespassing, since it might put a bad light on them, which in turn could be problematic for the trial against Nile. 

Especially, since he gave his best to divert their attention from Levi. With a record of trespassing, they could quickly turn Levi into a stalking omega, that didn’t know his boundaries. Thus benefiting Nile’s lame ass story, that Levi searched him out desperately, in an attempt to homewreck his marriage for some money. He chose not to explicate further, since he wanted to spare Levi the details, regarding the vile rumors Nile attempted to spread about Levi during the ongoing trial. The attorney of that asshole, tried his best to frame Levi. The rumors made bile rise in Erwin’s throat, he knew better than to listen to any of this shit and it had made Nile furious, that he hadn’t been able to disrupt the trust between the mates, despite their already weakened bond. 

“Is there any other way out?”

Levi only needed to look to the other side of the room, where the walls had already crumbled to pieces, leaving enough room to sneak through, if they were careful enough. As the footsteps drew closer and closer, Erwin noticed that Levi had been frozen on the spot, eyes wide and his face pale as a ghost, in regards to what was about to happen soon. Erwin wasn’t sure, if it was a happy accident, or bad luck, that they decided to show up to this place, on the day it was about to get torn down. Any day later and they would have only found rubble and ash instead. 

“You know how long it takes for those lazy asses in the department to file a shitty piece of paper. Wish I had a job like that, too! Fucking cunts not knowing what real work is, in their fancy offices, just fucking whores all day or whatever.” The filthy laugh echoed from right in front of the main entrance and Erwin just rolled his eyes, at the envy fueled stereotypes the construction worker had portrayed.

Erwin scooped up Levi bridal style and dashed for the makeshift way out, it was a tight squeeze, through the bricks, but they made it just in time to hide away behind the construction side. The construction workers entered the remains of the building to check on it and look for any signs of life, or valuable items, that could be saved, but according to their disappointed sighs, there wasn’t anything useful left, while Erwin and Levi were able to sneak away. As they gained enough distance and were safely behind the put up warning signs, Erwin paused to turn around. The construction workers had left the building and were now standing a bit away from it, to converse with the crane operator and make suggestions, where to start best, waving around their arms frantically and shouting around.

“Do you want to watch them proceed?” Erwin asked, as he regarded Levi with a concerned look, that should reassure him that he didn’t have to, if he didn’t want to, but Levi nodded his agreement. 

Erwin shifted the small body in his arms, to contribute his omega’s weight more evenly and to give him a better view. One of his strong arms was supporting Levi’s bottom, the other slung tightly around his back, while Levi’s legs were wrapped around his waist in return. The alpha held him tight, as they both turned their gazes to the impending spectacle. It didn’t take long, until the first strike of the wrecking ball echoed through the air, already tearing down half of the remains. It was so loud, that Erwin almost overheard the tiny sob, that escaped Levi, who had one hand covering his mouth, while the other clutched tightly to a rather dusty Mr. Plush. Nevertheless his gaze remained firmly on his old house, as it was torn apart piece by piece. Tears cascading down his cheeks silently, but he didn’t dare to close his eyes for even a second. 

Only when even the last brick had fallen was Levi tearing his gaze away from the sight, rubbing away the remaining tears and the snot running from his nose. 

“Sorry…” he mumbled quietly and hid his face against the broad chest of his alpha, embarrassed by his emotional display.

“You are so brave, my sweet boy, so much braver than I am.” Erwin crooned, as he pressed a kiss to his omega’s forehead. Somehow he understood why Levi needed to see this, as cruel of a sight as it had been, It felt like saying goodbye to a past that should never be repeated. It was tearing down all the bad memories, to make room for a fresh start. 

“Let’s go home.” Levi finally said, with an astonishing firm voice, as he let go of Erwin and got back onto his own two feet, as they made their way back around to the alpha’s parked car, driving away without looking back.

While it dawned on Levi, that they had been in a potentially dangerous situation. He was glad Erwin got them out and that he had actually decided to watch his old home getting turned to shreds. This part of him was forever gone now, a clear sign that he just had to move on. Erwin had proven time after time, that he was the most selfless and caring alpha, Levi could have ever picked up. No matter how much the omega stepped out of line, Erwin wasn't quitting or giving up on him, if anything his daddy tried all the harder to meet his needs. 

While at times, Levi still had trouble to ask for stuff and to let his guard down to accept the gentle dotting Erwin bestowed upon him, he couldn't help, but fall for his mate all the harder. Erwin was a bottomless pit of love and care, twisting Levi up in a gentle cocoon of all the things in life, he never knew he needed.

The omega always had Erwin's needs in mind, knowing fully well that there were a few things he couldn't give him just yet, but he wanted to try. 

It could potentially backfire on him spectacularly, but he tried to psych himself up by trusting into Erwin's judgement. His daddy had always assured him that he would never do anything to hurt him, so Levi wanted to believe that Erwin would stop, if he sensed any distress on his mates end.

They had parked in the garage and headed up to their apartment for a quiet night in, while the snow kept coming down.

Levi had seen a few of the decorative Christmas details, that had been hung up across town from the car, on their way back. The decorations in celebration of the fastly approaching holiday and the colorful fairy lights were hypnotising and inviting, but he couldn't imagine himself amidst the throng of people, pushing against each other on the sidewalks.

Instead, he had asked Erwin for a hot chocolate, once they got back into the warmth and the alpha had petted his hair with a smile. Erwin even stopped at their local corner store to pick up additional whipped cream and some Christmas sweets for Levi to munch on, allowing him to devour cookies, even before dinner would be served. 

For the first time Levi felt settled and like this was his true home now. He still yearned for Erwin's mating mark to solidify their bond yet again, but his body wasn't getting with the program. Hanji had been concerned about his missing heat circle, but all their tests came back okay, telling Levi not to worry. He was almost desperate for a heat, since it would allow them to bond once again.

Maybe he was cock blocking himself? 

Well there was no better way to find out, but try to seduce his daddy.

They had dinner together, had taken a refreshing bath and he was now cuddled up on the couch, watching some Netflix with Erwin. It took him some hyping up to leave Mr. Plush back in the laundry room, where it was hung up to dry, after having taken a cycle in the washing machine to get rid of all the dust and dirt, but it felt wrong to have the plushy near, considering what he was trying to initiate.

His alpha was cozy and relaxed, his hair in disarray, eyes drifting between the screen and his mate, as Levi clung closer, his small hand drawing unknown lines across Erwin's chest, as he did so often. He knew Erwin would be back in the stress wheel come Monday morning, so it was nice to see him having some downtime, once and for all.

Levi had no real narrative or direction he wanted to go by, just knowing that a full on blow job was out of the question. He had abandoned the drama on screen, in favor of looking at his alpha's handsome face, as he snuggled closer, turning slightly, to rest on Erwin's chest, as his lips dared to mouth along the strong neck, with the alluring scent.

The moment Levi cuddled up even closer to him, Erwin slung an arm around his shoulder to give Levi free reign and make it more comfortable. Although the movie wasn’t all that interesting, it was nice to just sit there all snuggled up with his omega and enjoy the company. 

Still somewhat encompassed by the movie – an especially dramatic scene, where the woman in distress yells a dramatic ‘Don’t you love me, Roberto?!’ at her love interests – Erwin suddenly felt Levi’s breath ghost over his neck briefly, before soft lips grazed his skin. 

The alpha was about to let out a content sigh at the cute sign of affection, as Levi grew bolder, planting open mouthed kisses along his alpha’s neck in a way that made Erwin’s breath hitch, the sigh dying in his throat. 

For a moment he sat there paralyzed at the sensation of his omega leaning over him, sucking softly on the spot of his neck, where his pulse could be felt the strongest. One of Levi’s hands started stroking over his chest, massaging one peck, as he trailed small kisses along the strong jaw, until he reached his alpha’s ear lobe and bit down on it playfully. 

“Daddy…” Erwin heard him whisper close to his ear and at that, he let out a deep groan, feeling the short pang of pain tingle his nerves from the teeth grazing his earlobe. By now he was realizing that Levi was trying to seduce him. A small hand wandered lower to slip under his shirt and any second thoughts about this actually happening, went straight out of the window. 

Erwin turned to face his mate, the arm around his omega’s shoulders pulling him closer to himself, while one hand grasped Levi’s waist. He took a moment to look at Levi’s flushed face. He wasn’t in heat and it was unlikely that it would hit anytime soon, considering his scent, still his mate’s eyes sparkled with desire, as he returned his alpha’s heated gaze.

Finally leaning down, Erwin caught the soft lips in a passionate kiss, that Levi responded to so sweetly, that it encouraged the alpha even further. Slipping in his tongue, he quickly dominated the kiss, exploring the insides of his cute mouth, until they were both out of breath. Breaking apart for air, Levi looked already slightly wrecked, with his lips swollen from the kiss and his hair tousled, suddenly seeming a bit overwhelmed and unsure, how he was supposed to proceed from there on. 

Erwin could feel Levi’s hand roaming lazy circles over his skin, the cool touch of his fingers building a nice contrast to his own burning body heat, that only increased further the bolder the circles of his fingertips grew. For a moment the alpha sat back to simply enjoy the ministrations of his mate, the soft tickling on his skin, that sent down small bolts of arousal, straight to his loins, until he could feel his cock harden painfully, in the restraints of his trousers. 

Levi noticed the obvious bulge and let his hands wander lower, where he teased the hem of his alpha’s trousers. Erwin's stomach muscles clenched, as the fingers ghosted over the blond happy trail, but otherwise the alpha held himself back, not moving a muscle, aside from gently stroking Levi’s back, in a somewhat encouraging manner, as the fingers started to work on his belt. 

His omega meet the intense blue gaze settled upon his every movement, with gunmetal eyes, that had a glimmer to them, as Levi opened Erwin’s fly and pulled the zipper down, careful not to end any further possibilities, with a much too enthusiastic move, that might hurt his alpha’s cock in the end. Erwin certainly appreciated the loving touch, he was handled with, not used to so much gentleness directed towards him, and he let out a relieved sigh, as his cock finally sprung free from its confines.

Levi licked his lips and for a moment Erwin’s mind was in a tailspin, his eyes fixing on the tongue. 

He wouldn’t? 

Would he?

The thought shot through the alpha’s mind unbidden, almost sobering him up in the process. Considering what Nile had almost forced him to, he wouldn’t, wouldn’t he? 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all well and holding up in this crazy virus ruled world. Times are tough, but we are tougher. So to make your day a little brighter, please enjoy this treat.  
Of course we are always very happy if you share your thought with us in the comments, or tell your friends to read this story, or promote it/share it somewhere. We are always happy about every new face that pops up and learns to love Eruri, just as we do.  
If you ever wonder if you are missing something, bc AO3 Emails have been horribly late delivered as of recently, (at least in my subscriptions) I post about fic updates in my Instagram story, the link is in my profile description.  
Now here we go, leaving you some deodorant and tissues for fair use.  
\- lots of love Satu

Just thinking that Levi might even feel obligated to return this favor to him, because he had pleasured him before they ended up in this whole mess, lessened his arousal significantly. He didn’t want to think of Nile at this moment. 

The lustful heat returned full force though, as he felt Levi’s hand envelop the shaft, giving it an experimenting tug, considering he wasn't as hard anymore, as anticipated. But his omega’s skilled fingers soon stroked him back to life, as Erwin came to the conclusion that Levi wouldn’t go there with his mouth anytime soon.

“Aaaah, Levi, baby-“ He groaned out, but whatever praise he got for his mate’s ministration, died down into a low moan, as one of his omega’s hands wandered down to cup the alpha’s heavy balls, squeezing and playing with them gently, as the other moved to work the tip. 

Erwin felt like he would lose his mind anytime soon, completely overwhelmed with the sensations, his mind getting clouded with lust, despite not being in rut. 

Levi gathered some precum on his hand and obscenely spat down on the length, to slicken it up further, so he could speed up his strokes, until the room was filled with the lewd squelching sound of his hand around Erwin’s hard prick and his alpha’s harsh pants. Filled with desperation for release, the alpha spread his muscular thighs further, giving Levi more room to fondle his balls, letting out a stuttering moan, everytime his thumb would graze the area, where his knot would expand. 

“Levi… hah, I’m close.” He ground out, not able to suppress the occasional bucking up of his hips into Levi’s hand. If Levi kept this up, he would come soon, but he couldn’t, not yet. “Stop, baby, not yet.” His jaw was now straining with the effort of keeping his composure and not just spilling himself in his mate’s waiting hand. 

Levi just looked at him with a wicked smile and slowed down his movement for a bit, but didn’t fully stop.

Not able to contain himself any longer Erwin grabbed Levi’s hand to pry it away from his hard member. He didn’t want to cum yet. Not before he had seen his omega. Not before he had touched him. He needed to hear those little moans that left his mouth, when he would play with his body. With a quick move, he removed the omega’s sleeping shirt, throwing it aside carelessly and immediately leaned down to plant kisses on the now bared upper body, starting right at the defined collar bones. The first response of the omega was to crouch his body a bit, to hide himself, flustered at the obvious lust filled stare the alpha regarded him with, but he didn’t protest, as the alpha took a hold of his wrists gently with one hand, to give himself access to the white skin in front of him. 

“You are so beautiful, my precious boy.” Erwin moaned out huskily, lips barely stopping with the butterfly kisses, as his hands wandered along Levi’s sides in a reassuring manner. Getting closer to his chest, his tongue peaked out to play with the little rose buds in front of him, licking and nibbling around them, before sucking them into his mouth, which in turn rewarded him with a high whine. Levi’s hands shot up to grasp a hold of blond strands at the sensation, not sure if he should pry the alpha off, or pull him even closer, as the alpha turned his head to give the other nipple the same attention, until it was all peaked up and glistening wet.

Erwin spread his own legs further apart, making more room for Levi, before guiding the quivering omega gently to straddle his lap. Though there was no distress in his smell, as Erwin buried his nose into the delicate neck to scent him, the omega was shaking like a leaf, and the alpha could not help but feel proud, that he had Levi in his arms trembling with arousal, even without being in heat. Erwin adjusted his arms to hold Levi steady in his lap, as the slim thighs came to rest on each side of the alpha’s wide hips, which put the smaller man involuntarily in a vulnerable spread open position. Erwin held himself back from just grinding his hips upwards. His own thick cock was caught between their bodies, beads of precum weeping from the head and smearing onto both their lower bellies, as Erwin leaned forward to capture Levi’s lips again. This time much gentler, but not less loving than before, as he gently led the kiss gently, stealing a few gasps from his omega, before letting his hands wander down and pulling down Levi’s PJ bottoms to free the smaller omega's cock, already colored in a deep blushing pink. Levi looked down between them, eyes widening at the obvious size difference between them. 

Erwin caught his attention again with another small kiss, before he took both of their cocks into one of his big hands, pressing them together. Leaning his forehead against Levi's, he felt his own pants mingle with his omega’s little moans, as he started to move his hips in gentle motions, jerking them both off at the same time.

Levi was overwhelmed by the sensations rushing through his veins, at Erwin's gentle ministrations. Feeling so out of breath was a bit scary, considering he only ever felt like that in the past months, when his anxiety had spiked. It confused his brain for a moment, but his alpha's kisses were enough of a distraction, that he didn't linger on those thoughts. Erwin made him feel wanted.

Erwin was his alpha, who was coming undone under his searching fingers. It had been so long, since he had last felt the alpha's hard flesh and it was even more overwhelming, when he realized that he himself had gotten hard.

He had been so adamant on pleasing his alpha and getting him off, that he hadn't even thought about the way his own body would respond to the attention.

Erwin's hand was enclosing their erections, almost hiding Levi's smaller one in the confines of his fingers, as he stroked them both slowly, feeling the beginnings of his knot nudging against Levi's balls. He had the urge to bury himself between his omega's milky thighs, to devour him and grind home, but he didn't want to set Levi off. This was already much more action, than he had been expecting, when he had indulged in his baby boys advances.

Levi's hot pants fanned out over Erwin's upper lip, a clear sign, that his omega was just as turned on, as he himself was.

Levi moaned into his alpha's mouth, as Erwin twisted his wrist just right and he could feel himself slicking against the strong thighs, that kept him spread wide.

If they kept at it, he would surely get off just on watching the muscles in Erwin's arm flex, while he worked them both. But he felt like he needed more. The wet feeling between his cheeks was getting uncomfortable and distracting, like an essential thing was missing - essential, as in Erwin's thick knot buried deep up there.

He leaned back breathlessly, kanting his hips up, pressing himself closer to the alpha's lap, a raspy whine tearing from his throat.

"Erwin." He pleaded, his thighs shaking from the effort of keeping himself up.

"I've got you darling." Erwin soothed him, hitching Levi higher up, to secure his grip on him, as he stood, to carry him over to the master bedroom, to get him more comfortable.

Levi kept licking his scent gland, almost tongue fucking his neck, by the time Erwin lowered him down on the soft egyptian sheets.

"Just look at you, my sweet needy baby." Erwin groaned, fingertips ghosting over Levi's face, before wandering lower. Levi was still clutching close, not wanting to lose the intoxicating feeling of Erwin's hard dick against his own weeping one, nevertheless he tried spreading his thighs further, hips still tilted up, rubbing his asscheeks against the soft linen, that was heating up under his back.

Erwin cursed, as his dick momentarily got caught in the grove of Levi's crack, nudging against the slick hole fluttering invitingly.

Levi keened, straining up at the contact. His omega instincts were a chanting mess of "Yes. Yes. Yes." And his brain was too shocked for words, uncertainty twisting his guts, mirroring on his face in a confused frown.

He wanted the alpha inside of him, but he also was scared.

Erwin retreated a bit, hands roaming the omega's upper body in soothing circles, as he kept peppering him with kisses. The pause in play had cooled him down instantly, afraid that the proceedings were becoming too much for Levi to handle.

"It's okay sweets. It's just me. We can stop. You don't have to do anything." Erwin reassured him, in a gentle voice, purposefully not touching Levi's angry red cock, to keep to his word.

"Nahaaw." Levi tried to protest, his body was still screaming for the alpha's touch and scent.

"Don't force your…" Erwin tried to soothe his omega, but got shut up half the way, as Levi aggressively attacked his mouth with a violent kiss. He sat up, kneeling over Erwin's spread thighs, who was still kneeling in front of him dumbfounded, as Levi took a breather to spat into his own hand, before tearing his tongue back into the alpha's mouth, while he reached behind himself.

He got more nervous, as he tried to spread some of the spit across his wet whole. He wasn't as dripping as he usually would be at this point, but enough for an easy slide. Erwin was surprised by the omega's boldness, even a little shocked at the lewd display of Levi trying to finger himself, but obviously not succeeding, so he took to riding up Erwin's erection. The alpha cupped his small ass, kneading the muscle and tightening the passage, as Levi mewled in between bounces, each time Erwin's tip nudged against his slicking hole.

"You are so beautiful my baby.” Erwin whispered in between kisses and his own labored breathing, as he fucked the omega’s sweet cheeks. Levi was pressing down harder onto his lap, at the friction all the bouncing created on his own neglected cock.

"Erwin… daddy… I … I want." Levi gasped, as his alpha playfully pinched his nipple, to keep Levi from overestimating himself and accidently spearing himself open on his alpha's cock without any prep. He really didn't want a repeat of Levi's torn ass.

“Yeah, I know, Baby, but I don’t want to hurt you.” 

Tightening the grip on Levi’s waist, Erwin made Levi slow down his movements and spat on his own hand, coating his fingers with his own saliva, before bringing them down to his mate’s quite slick hole. 

Levi’s thighs quivered with the effort of staying still, as he pushed back his ass in invitation, the moment he felt the fingers caress his rim in gentle motions. 

The alpha’s mouth went dry, as he watched every expression on Levi’s face closely, the small ‘o’ the pink lips formed, as Erwin’s fingertip finally dipped in, before slipping out the second after, only to circle around the rim again, to tease him some more and to cause more slick to leak out. 

Since the omega wasn’t in heat, he wanted to make sure that he was dripping wet for him, to refrain from tearing him with his knot again. 

As impatient as Levi was now, Erwin knew he would be a panicked crying mess, hanging off of his knot, not even able to run away, if he didn’t take the time to prepare him properly. The desperate moans and whines didn’t help Erwin’s patience, but he was able to control himself, despite the steadily increasing smell of slick filling the room.

Levi smelled so sweet to him, not as ripe and intoxicating, as his heat scent, but clearly enough to cloud his mind and fill him with desire. As his mate’s mewling got more impatient, because of a finger teasing his hole, Erwin finally found mercy in his heart and slipped it in again. Now the passage was so slick, the whole digit slid into Levi in one stroke, ripping a surprised keen from his mouth and a low groan from Erwin’s chest at the tightness, that clenched around his comparably thick finger. 

He circled the digit around for a bit, pressing against the soft inner walls tentatively, before he decided that Levi was ready for a second one. So he slipped his index finger next to his middle finger, working them in, in scissoring motions to stretch the passage and revealing into every hitched moan Levi gave, at the feeling of being filled after such a long time. 

Small hands clawed at broad shoulders, fingernails leaving faint scratches, a shudder running through his omega’s body, before he hid his face against Erwin’s neck. As the omega’s chest pressed closer against his own, he noticed just how fast Levi’s heart was beating, fluttering at record speed, as his breathing grew more labored as well. 

Not retreating his fingers, but pausing their motions, Erwin’s other hand wandered higher, to caress his back in soothing motions, before gently tilting Levi’s chin upwards. 

“Look at me, baby. Don’t close your eyes. It’s me.” He crooned soothingly in his ear, leaning down to nibble gently at the earlobe, to get his omega’s attention, before leaning back, so he could properly look at him. Hesitantly Levi drew his head away from his mate’s neck, pressing his lithe body even closer to the muscular chest, as his back arched. Erwin let out a soft hiss, as their erections brushed against each other in the process, willing his own heart rate to slow down, as he took Levi’s hand in his own, settling it right over his own heart, so his omega could feel it beating in a fast, but steady motion.

“You do this to me.” His voice almost cracked, as he saw Levi’s wondrous gaze, never leaving his face. “This is me. I will make you feel so good, baby boy.” 

After Levi had calmed down for a bit, Erwin continued with his ministrations, stretching the hole and thrusting his fingers in and out, in a slow rhythm. Soon Levi’s gasps turned into moans and he worked his hips to rock down onto the fingers, turning more and more desperate for something bigger to fill him up. Suddenly he let out a shameless whine, as Erwin obviously had just hit the right spot. Wanting to hear the sound over and over again, the alpha made sure to repeat the motion and attack his omega’s sweet spot with more precision, yearning to be enchanted by his mate’s sweet noises.

“Daddy, please…” he begged, as he kept rolling his hips, grinding up against the big hand, that pressed back intently, as he added a third finger, which earned him another whine. 

Erwin could feel the slick seep out of the hole onto his hand, dripping down his wrists lazily and he couldn’t help but feel smug, that he was able to make Levi keen and drip like this, even outside of his heat. 

The way moans and cries left him so shamelessly, as Erwin made him lose all inhibition, made him sound like a bitch ready for the taking and while this excited the alpha beyond measure, it didn’t let his resolve crumble.

As much as he wanted to be inside the tight passage, clenching around his fingers so invitingly, he wasn’t enveloped in the mindless haze of a rut running through his veins. The prospect of making Levi feel good was the closest to his heart, instead of the urge to simply plow into him, with no regards for his well being, consumed by the urge to mate, fuck and breed. 

Only the thought of overwhelming Levi like this, made his blood run cold and he shook it off quickly, focusing back on his pleasure struck mate, who was still moving on his hand, basically fucking himself on the alpha’s fingers. Erwin didn’t even contemplate slipping in the fourth digit, his thumb now being the only finger left outside of his omega’s willing body. Regarding Levi’s face closely, he curled his hand a bit, making his mate almost scream and babble nonsense, as the full assault on his prostate hit him. He fell forward, barely catching himself on Erwin’s chest, making the alpha moan at the moist feeling of drool dripping onto his skin. His thumb grazed the rim and teased the omega with the possibility of slipping in, too, a promise to push his complete fist into him, but he decided that this would be too much for now. Instead he slowly pulled his fingers out of the passage, as he gently pressed Levi back onto the mattress and used his height advantage to loom over his mate, to take a look at the fluttering rim, as the now empty hole clenched around nothing but thin air. The sight alone sent a rush of heat directly to his neglected cock, that throbbed harshly in response, urging him to finally push inside the delicate body draped over the bedsheets. 

The blond made sure to lick his fingers clean, under watchful gray eyes and he couldn’t help, but chuckle lowly at the pink blush, painting the pale cheeks of his omega, due to the lewd gesture. Levi had no clue how good he tasted to the alpha, all sweet and musky, like home and family, happiness and peace of mind. Everything that Levi was to him. Humming in appreciation, he let his now free hands rest on the slender waist.

“How do you want it?” Erwin groaned out, with a hoarse voice, as his hips rutted up on instinct, brushing his own raging erection against Levi’s smaller one. “You want to ride me, baby?” Levi let out a small whine, at the sudden friction, but managed to shake his head in denial, moistening his lips, before finding the courage to answer.

“Want to feel you on top of me. How strong you are, daddy.” 

The almost innocent voiced confession, made lust curse through his alpha’s veins and he embraced Levi with his arms, so he could carefully pull him closer. With ragged breathing, he looked down on the small omega beneath him, the slim chest also rising and falling rapidly. He could barely believe that Levi wanted this to happen again, even initiated it, but the loving gaze that filled Levi’s eyes, staring up at him, showed him how much the omega came to trust him. After all that had transpired between them. Aside from the obvious arousal spiking up, it also made Erwin finally feel loved and accepted, even more so, then during their actual bonding. Hovering over the omega, blue eyes fixating on gray intensely, he lifted one hand to intertwine his fingers with Levi’s, hoping to make Levi feel at least even a fraction of his adoration for him. If only for a second, it was like time stood still around them. 

“I love you, Levi.” Erwin whispered earnestly, almost afraid to disrupt the spiritual silence between them, before leaning down to seal his confession with a slow, but passionate kiss. Levi returned it in kind, being the first to slip in his tongue and heat it up, as an answer, his arms angling around the strong neck, to pull him closer, spreading his slim thighs further apart, to make room for the alpha’s larger body, to nestle comfortable between them.

“Daddy, I need you… please, ah-“ Lifting his hips in invitation, it was obvious that Levi, despite seeming nervous, didn’t want to wait any longer. 

The alpha grit his teeth at the lewd display and gave his cock, hanging hard and heavy between his legs, a few strokes to take off the edge. After all this time he was worried, that simply the sensation of finally being inside of his mate, to feel the hole flutter and clench around his girth, would make him cum too soon – although his alpha pride would have not allowed him to ever admit this out loud. After giving the base of his cock a sharp squeeze, in order to starve off his impending orgasm, Erwin nudged the precum leaking tip against the slick dripping hole gently. Levi's first bodily response was to angle his oversensitive hole away from the awaiting intrusion, while his fingers were digging crescent moons into the alpha's shoulders, drawing himself closer to the wide chest, feeling Erwin's sparse blonde chest hairs scratch against his flushed skin.

Erwin paused, hovering over his loved one, afraid to make the wrong move. Levi keened high in his throat, Erwin's throughout fingering had him mad and needy. His mate always knew how to drive him insane. He had struggled a bit at first, but after locking eyes with his alpha, it had become easier to relax, into the expert ministrations, he couldn't help but still be wired on an undercurrent of anxiety. 

One of his hands twisted up into his alpha's blonde strands, pulling forcefully, to beg for a kiss. Erwin tasted devine on his lips and his scent was basically a cocoon of safety around him.

"Levi?" Erwin mumbled against the plush lips.

"Please… do it." The omega begged, distracting himself with the kiss. He wanted Erwin. He didn't want to stop, right before hitting the bullseye.

Erwin gently cupped Levi’s thighs, drawing his mate closer, as he slowly fed him inch by inch, waiting in between, for Levi to adjust. The first breach was the still the worst and even if it didn't really hurt at all, the omega couldn't help but screw up his face for a second, chest heaving with his panting.

"Daddy!" Levi moaned loudly, as his body engulfed the alpha's entire length tightly. His eyes threatened to roll back into his head, from the feeling of fullness, he hadn't felt in so long. It was a dangerous cliff, but Erwin kept peppering his face and lips in kisses, in between soft coos. He was patiently waiting for Levi to get used to it. It took all of his strength to keep holding back, from snapping his hips right up, but thankfully his mate didn't let him wait for long, as the small heels started digging into his back, urging him to get a move on. 

Erwin still tried to be as gentle as possible, as he complied with shallow slow trust, that took Levi's breath away. His omega was making the most cute noises, among the squelching of their bodies joining, as Erwin picked up the pace a little, the sound of skin slapping joining into the cacophony. The alpha groaned, barely able to keep himself from bending his mate in half and pound his little smart ass, into the next universe, as Levi kept withering on the sheets, nails scratching the alpha's shoulders and up his neck, as he tried to hold on.

Erwin was giving it good, yet gentle and Levi didn't even know if he wanted him to go harder. He was high on Erwin's smell, the sweat coating their bodies, the slide of skin against skin, his alpha's balls slapping against his ass and Erwin's sea blue eyes never leaving him. He felt like it drew him in, drowned him, surrounded him, everything was Erwin. Perfect Erwin, his mate, his daddy, his alpha making white stars of light explode in Levi's vision, from the sheer euphoria his body was in. He’d long lost any brain to mouth filter, noises and sounds falling from his lips beyond his control, urging Erwin on, praising him.

"You are mine. Yes you are. All mine baby." Erwin whispered lovingly, hot breath fanning out over Levi's neck, as he changed his position and hit the omega’s prostate dead on, making Levi scream and bubble under him. His eyes closing from the overbearing feelings cascading through his veins, his body momentarily growing tenser, before Erwin reminded him to open his eyes again.

"That's right, look at me my lovely. Nobody else makes you feel this good. Just you and me. Just us. My perfect mate." Erwin groaned, his own breathing erratic from the exertion, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on. Levi was luring him in, clutching tight, he could feel him ripple around his girth, as his knot started to swell further. Erwin drank up all the small lovely noises, loud shouts of pleasure and moans.

The way Levi moaned and keened beneath him, appearing even smaller compared to the alpha’s heavy bulk, on top of him, had his mind in a talespin. The wet walls hugging his girth, clinging to him with every pull, just to welcome him back in, the moment he thrust in.

It felt so good to be inside his mate again, even without the blinding lust of his rut, that had him all focused on just breeding that bitch up, maybe especially so, since he was now able to be completely encompassed by his mate. 

Everything was Levi to him at this moment. The more and more desperate turning moans, the little hands, that clawed at his chest and back, trying to find some purchase. 

To see Levi lose control like this and try to hold onto his mate, lost in the throes of passion, made a deep possessive growl rumble in the alpha’s chest. There wasn’t much shame left in Levi, compared to how anxious and fragile he looked at the beginning, like he was about to break, the moment Erwin decided to impale him on his cock. 

A distinct smell of fear had mingled with the sweet scent of slick, but had now grown to be more and more distant, only a faint memory of Levi’s concerns and worries about this. 

Sparks of pleasure clouded his vision, as the friction between them intensified and it took Erwin all of his control, to continue with careful movements, instead of snapping his hips back violently, just to plow back in. His body urged to just succumb to his deepest desires and just fuck him harder, but looking at how Levi writhed at his gentle, yet firm ministrations, his heart almost skipped a beat, at the realization, that he was the first to make Levi feel this way, the first to actually make love to him, to make him moan and cry out so sweetly. He was the first and he would be the last and only one, to ever see Levi like this - his omega, his baby boy.

Slowly he could feel his knot grow with every thrust of his pelvis, fueled by the uninhibited sounds that left Levi’s lush lips, going directly to his cock, as he kept penetrating his prostate over and over again, until Levi’s hips bucked upwards, in uncontrolled motions. The sudden clench around his girth, choked a deep groan out of Erwin and made him shudder with arousal. 

“You feel so good, Baby.” He groaned out between harsh pants. “You’re so perfect for me.” 

He let his hand wander along the sides of the omega’s body in adoration, before flicking one of the stiffened rose colored nipples. “Daddy wants to show the world that you are his sweet little boy.” To emphasize his words, Erwin bent down to leave butterfly kisses and small nips on the soft skin of Levi’s throat and neck, grazing the skin with his teeth in a teasing fashion, to hint at what he was about to do to him. 

“No one will ever question to whom you belong, ever again, baby. You are safe with me.” Erwin crooned in his omega’s ear and Levi bared his neck and throat, offering it up to his alpha. 

“Make me yours, daddy.” Levi barely whimpered. His own state of arousal made it difficult for him to find words and sort them into a meaningful manner, as long as Erwin proceeded to roll his hips into him. With a low hum vibrating in his chest, Erwin complied, painting the white skin with pinkish, soon to be purple, love bites and kisses, with loving ministrations, just to suck down on the inviting flesh and tear startled gasps from his omega. There was rarely a bare spot left, on the delicate throat in front of him, when Erwin could feel small fingers pinch at his neck indicating for him to stop. He started to worry, that he had overdone it again, overstimulating Levi to the point of ruining everything. So he halted all movement immediately, to check on his mate, who was looking up at him, with lust filled gunmetal eyes.

“Close, daddy.” Levi crooned barely audible. “Need to look at you… or I can’t- ha-“ 

The begging died down in his throat, as blue eyes locked with his and Erwin resumed the movement of his hips again, thrusting into the warm body, with a steady rhythm and alternating it, with gentle circles of his hips, to grind into the omega’s sweet spot, intending to bring his mate closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy, without over stimulating him. 

As Levi’s legs around his waist pulled the alpha closer, a high pitched cry left his throat and Erwin lost his balance for a bit, almost crushing his omega, with his weight, as he toppled over, but managed to catch himself on his forearms. A gush of new slick wetted Levi further, to prepare him for the impending knot, that his body was so craving for. 

Erwin ravaled in the filthy feeling, their sweat mingling together, everytime their hot skin was touching, as the squelching of spit and slick filled the room with vulgar noises. The dirty slippery feel, only intensifying, as Levi spilled his cum between them, landing mostly on his own belly, but also on the blond coarse pubic hair of his alpha, as he ground his hips in deep circles. 

The alpha felt like burning up, as Levi’s orgasm hit and the tight walls massaged his cock, wanting to milk him for all he was worth. He continued pressing his hips into his mate, feeling his knot grow thicker, with every passing second and he managed to slip it in,just in time, as the sensation of his own orgasm overwhelmed him. With a deep growl, he felt himself spilling his cum inside his mate, pushing into the delicate body beneath him, as hard as he could, earning a surprised quivering whine from Levi, at the sudden invasion of deep pressure. Bright white blinded Erwin’s vision for a moment, as arousal shot through his entire body and made his skin tingle in excitement. His pulse echoed in his ear, as his vision went from white to red, before clearing out again.

Looking down at Levi, who watched him with a rather fascinated expression, as if he was stunned, at what he just did to his alpha. Erwin returned the mesmerized gaze, as if asking for permission. Levi raked his neck and turned his head aside for a bit, still looking at his alpha from the corners of his eyes. Erwin leaned down to nuzzle his neck, licking a stripe across the faint bonding mark, that mocked him every single passing day, since the incident, as he finally bit down on the neck again, to mark the omega as HIS again. 

Despite just coming, the alpha could feel himself twitch inside his mate and pump another spurt of semen, inside of him, at the sight of his mark on his mate. 

Hovering above the omega, Erwin was completely out of breath, like he had just run a marathon. Sweat made the blond strands cling to his forehead, but Levi didn’t reprimand him, as he nuzzled his head closer, to kiss along the fresh mating bite. 

Erwin knew it wouldn’t last long - it would be only temporary - since Levi wasn’t in heat, as well as he wasn’t in rut. But seeing the red imprints of his teeth on the pale skin, soothed his inner alpha a bit for the time being, making him look forward to actually renewing their bond permanently. 

Not wanting to crush Levi underneath his weight, Erwin shuffled gently to change positions, mindful of the knot, locked firmly inside of his mate. He hugged Levi tight to his chest, before moving them, so they could lay on their sides facing each other, with their legs tangled together. Now that they were both catching their breaths and the sweat and slick started to dry on their skins, the cold air of the AC grew more and more prominent, prompting Erwin to search for the blanket with his fingers, to pull it over their bodies to keep them warm. Completely blissed out with his knot buried inside his mate, leaking cum in steady pulses into the well fucked passage, Erwin regarded Levi’s flushed face with a loving glance.

Levi was still in bliss, feeling utterly full and impaled on his alpha's cock, neck throbbing in time with his pulse, where Erwin's teeth had broken skin. 

Despite both being not in season, he felt a low tide of contentment roll over him, to finally belong to his mate again. He was Erwin's and Erwin was his. 

There were faint remarks of the alpha's feelings, still buzzing through his veins. A tidal wave of pride and so much love, that it had almost robbed his breathing, the moment Erwin had broken his skin. There had been care, adoration, as well as worries, solely focused on him and him getting better. Of him being Erwin's forever after. These fundamental things had been way more prominent, then any lust or possessive traits, like he had encountered, when Erwin had first bonded with him.

Levi wanted to cling to it, for as long as he could, so he soaked in the warmth of their joined bodies, despite both of them being a sticky mess, his ass was still milking his alpha's knot for all he was worth. He bathed in the throbbing of the member inside of him and the gentle pressure, it put on the back of his womb, when Erwin moved, for even just a miniscule inch, the tip would nudge up against the thin membrane, separating his uterus from the rest of his digestive system, which in turn made a new wave of stars explode behind his eyelids and his breath hitch. 

It wasn't really uncomfortable, even if he was overly sensitive and fucked out, if anything it drove home the fact, how well endowed his alpha was.

This was all his.

"Mine." Levi softly purred into the silence, as he pressed his ear closer, to listen to Erwin's steadily beating heart. 

"Always yours my boy. Always and forever." Erwin crooned, one big hand softly cradling the back of his omega's head, fingertips ghosting through his raven hair.

Hearing Levi purr for him, no matter how softly and faint it was, after all the shit they've been through together, made the alpha's heart soar into the sky. Even without a permanent bond at the moment, they had come a really long way, considering their very first heated encounter. Levi was showing so much trust in him, letting his guard back down slowly, to embrace Erwin, his mate, with every inch of his body and mind. He allowed himself to be vulnerable and needy, something, at first glance Erwin would have never expected, from the mouthy cold omega, he had faced in his library all those months ago. 

It was hard to grasp that only a handful of weeks had gone by, since he noticed Levi's smell for the first time on his premises, all the way back in june. So much had happened in this short amount of time, that it felt like more than a year had already passed.

Alpha's never courted their mate for long, before claiming them. In general it went on for maybe a week and so called fated pairs, had been known to tie the knot within as much as only 3 days time, even. While the fated mate tale was old fashioned and wildly ignored, by the majority of people, Erwin was sure, the roller coaster his life had become, ever since Levi entered his apartment, was a testimony, that fated mates did exist. They just barely ever meet, because people compensated with sloppy seconds. Erwin held his boy tighter, hand caressing the small back and wherever he could reach, in a gentle manner. Levi was the missing puzzle piece to his puzzle, he could not even entertain the idea, of ever having to lose him to anyone. He would kill for him, if he had to.

He gently tipped Levi's face up to check on him, noticing the still hazy look in his eyes, before pressing a kiss to his omega's forehead.

He knew that Levi still wasn't back to his snarky old self, so he had indulged his boy with the daddy kink, he just hoped it wouldn't permanently take up residence in their sexual encounters. He loved taking care of Levi, whether he was feeling big or small, but he would prefer to keep the daddy out of the bedroom. But for now he chose not to object. Levi barely knew what he was really capable off, let alone had actually laid eyes on his alpha’s playroom, considering all the discriminating evidence was safely stored away from the prying eyes of little boys.

Levi was tempted to take a nap while he was still stuck on his alpha's thick knot, but the emotions cursing through him didn't allow him to drift off. While the knot was slowly going back down again, it was nowhere near as deflated, to allow Erwin to pull out just yet.

"Daddy?" Levi yawned sleepily, disrupting the content silence that had settled around them.

"Yes, my sweet prince?"

" 'm thirsty." Levi stated softly. Erwin smiled down at him, reaching out his long arm, to grab the bottle of water, that was sitting on the nightstand. There wasn't anything else around, so this would have to do for now. But he took a note to give Levi some hot milk or a cup of tea, once they separated and could get ready for bed. It had been a long day after all. He held out the bottle for Levi to sip from, before the omega had enough and turned his face back into the alpha's strong pectorals. Another 10 minutes passed, before Erwin had softened enough to slip free and bundled his sleepy mate up, to get them both cleaned up and in a set of comfortable PJs. He didn't object once, to carrying Levi around like a clingy koala, instead ravalled in the feeling of being this close. 

Levi did choose the hot milk with honey afterwards and Erwin refrained from telling him that he would need to brush his teeth, again. Instead they picked up Mr. Plush from his spot in the laundry room, before settling in for the night. Levi had been hesitant to ask Erwin at first, but after giving his daddy a set of his best puppy dog eyes and glancing towards the package of diapers, stored under the sink in Erwin’s ensuite, his alpha quickly caught on.

While Levi usually only used them on the really bad days, when he wanted to sleep, or take a nap and prevent himself from experiencing any more accidents, this time he felt the need to put them on, just to be safe. Everything with Erwin had been so close to perfect, that he was afraid, the tables would turn on him during the night. His ass was pretty much throbbing after not having been used in all this time. It was embarrassing for him, that he even had to think about it, but thankfully Erwin didn’t question his choice at all and just helped him pull them on. They were simply a precaution and the moment the pull ups settled around his waist, warmth blossomed in his chest, that his alpha was always looking out for him.

Levi didn’t complain, that the alpha's room still smelled like sex, the air polluted by the scent of their recent coupling. He just cuddled up even closer, sharing a sweet chaste kiss with his mate, before drifting off in the safety of his embrace.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are ready for this. Have fun.

Leaving for work was especially difficult after a weekend full of cuddles and comforting bubble baths spent with his omega. It had been a relaxing, but somewhat difficult time, since in some moments Levi would try to hide in his child persona and other times, he would be almost back to his old snarky self, the one Erwin fell in love with. 

The transition was mostly fluent and the alpha came to recognize some signs, like Levi’s increasing need to stick something in his mouth, when he was starting to get anxious, no matter if it was something to eat, something he could chew on for a while, a pen or pencil, or even his thumb at times. Or when he would drag all the blankets and throws into his room to play. At first Erwin hadn’t been sure, if he had late nesting urges due to hormones, but it turned out to be an enormous pillow fort that Levi created so “daddy could also fit in and read me bedtime stories”. 

No matter how adorable this was to the alpha and how nice it felt to lay down with Levi and read to him, until his neck felt skin on skin, crouched into a lying position with his baby boy halfway draped over him, he was proud of every moment Levi was able to fight his trauma and every moment his omega returned closer to his usual self. 

Levi was quick to reprimand the alpha’s dirty lazy ass, when he wouldn't hang up his clothing orderly or forget to put something back in its proper place, but also scoff at him for cutting up the vegetables into too big pieces, when they happened to cook together. Erwin could hear the love that accompanied the snark, fully aware that Levi wouldn’t put up with shit like this, unless he deeply cared for the person. 

Every biting word felt like a kiss and it so happened that they almost burned dinner, because Erwin was distracted with sneaking up to his mate, who was seasoning their food – Levi had forbidden Erwin to ever salt anything again, because his dead taste buds would overdo it. He wouldn’t want his alpha to die due to heart failure, because his sodium intake was going through the roof.

Erwin peppered Levis neck with kisses, feeling quite smug about all the purple marks he had left there and allowed his hands to sneak under the white button up shirt the omega was wearing. His fingers caressed the skin and despite Levi’s protest, he could feel the smaller man lean into his touch, but just when he was about to nibble at the earlobe and tease the small nipples, Levi suddenly yanked away to turn down the heat – quite literary – and rescue the healthy and nutritious vegetable stir fry he was cooking up for them. 

“I don’t know how you survived this long without me?” Levi muttered under his breath, as he served the food and Erwin refrained from informing him, that the food in the canteen at work wasn’t bad at all and actually quite healthy, if you choose the right options that is, which he actually did - most of the time. It was cute that Levi seemed to like doing little things for the people he cared about, although he would never admit it, so Erwin left the matter be, chuckling “I have no clue either.”. 

So it was understandable, that Erwin would have loved to smack the alarm clock against the next wall, when Monday morning arrived, but he felt relieved that Levi apparently had gotten used to it, only waking up short enough to blink open an eye and demand his kiss goodbye, before turning around to sleep a bit longer. 

“Someone got laid.” Erwin swatted Mike away, the moment he felt a nose sniffing his hair. The taller alpha had creeped up to him during lunch break and seemed in quite a good mood. Erwin didn’t know if this was something to be happy or concerned about, but chose to not point it out for now.

Mike let out a dirty chuckle, at the warning glare he received as a response.

“I am glad that he recovered, I heard from Nana, that he has been making great progress. Also thanks to you.” His friend soothed, as they sat down at a table in the corner of the canteen, not wanting to be disturbed by any concerned co-workers, who meant well and would come up to Erwin and give him their condolences for what happened to his mate. It was insane how quick everything, that was discussed in court, managed to make its way around outside of the courtroom, straight into the rumor mill and although it worked in his favor, it was disturbing how much interest other people suddenly had in his life. 

Hanji had laughed about that and reprimanded him, saying that this was only natural, since the formerly well known ‘work machine with no life whatsoever’ had turned into prince charming on a white stallion – at least in the eyes of all the beta-women. 

“Did you hear the good news?” Mike asked him and proceeded to tell him about some new information that had reached the court. Some new documents were sent anonymously to the lawyer, which held clear evidence that Nile’s involvement with the Titan Gang was far deeper than they had suspected. Drug money and blackmail were the most prominent things the bastard had been involved in, it seemed like one of his contacts was also pissed off enough at him, to give out the information and handing Nile his ass back this way. With this new evidence, it looked even worse for the bastard and it was likely to gain him a few more years in prison, in addition to what the court was already discussing. 

There couldn’t have been better news for the alpha, as a garnish to his lunch and Mike saw it the same way. It had been a long time, since they sat together like this, in such a good mood no less. For a while they ate in silence, quietly chewing and watching some colleges, that passed by and it didn’t take long, until Erwin gestured for Mike to pass him the salt.

Erwin just hummed out a thank you in between bites, as he took the salt shaker, seasoned his food and was otherwise being quite focused on cutting the meat on his plate, before taking a big gulp of water, as Mike disrupted the settled silence nonchalantly. 

“What did he say about the playroom?”

Erwin almost choked on his drink, as he tried hard to not spit it out, straight into Mike’s face, as he coughed and bumped his own chest, in order to not die on the spot, because of water in his lungs - or embarrassment. 

“Not so loud, Mike!” he scolded and leant forward to the now smugly grinning alpha, that was also leaning in, so they could talk a little more privately. 

“So?” Mike probed almost in a teasing fashion and Erwin rolled his eyes, whispering in a low tone, so no one could overhear them. 

“We didn’t use the playroom.” 

This seemed to genuinely surprise the taller man, as he leant back and considered his friend with a calculating gaze. 

“But you intend to use it?” He inquired and Erwin almost felt sorry, that he hadn’t spit the water directly into his face, as he saw the amused gleam in his eyes.

“Well, of course I intend to, but we go at Levi’s pace and I want to make sure he is ready. I didn’t even know, that he was ready for ‘this’ yet, so-“ It seemed like Erwin had said something right in Mike’s eyes, as he gave an appreciating nod and suddenly Erwin realized, that this was on one hand a friendly conversation, on the other hand an interrogation on how good his self-control was, when it came to Levi. In short, Mike was checking, if Erwin needed another sock in the face, or if he had been treating his omega right. 

“I think Levi will really like it. The first time I introduced Nana to-“

“Please spare me the details.” Erwin interrupted him and Mike gave him a smug grin, that said everything Mike would actually never had spoken out loud, since he anticipated Erwin interrupting him, before he got to the juicy details, he wouldn’t have shared anyway. 

“I am sure you will take good care of him.” Mike said, as he took a look on his watch and decided it was time to gather his things and go back to work, leaving Erwin to finish his lunch in peace. “After all, you learned from the best.”the taller alpha muttered with a hint of pride in his grumbly voice.

Levi had been able to take on more responsibilities around the house, while Erwin was gone for work and thanks to the meetings with Hanji, it had gotten easier to find back to his old snarky self, instead of hiding away. 

A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near Erwin's nether regions, without suffering a full blown panic attack, but now he was not only feeling a bit proud of himself for overcoming his fears, that had almost thrown him back into touch starvation, he was also a little smug on top of it.

His mate had been really considerate of his needs and even though he hadn't blown his daddy, and wasn't sure, if he actually would anytime soon, he had at least accomplished that much.

Letting Erwin slip away in the mornings had become easier too, he wasn't as clingy anymore, but his alpha never held back affection, if he begged for it and gave him free reign about his daily activities. He didn't reprimand him for lazing around all day, or scold him for going on one of his cleaning sprees either, he would just hug him real tight and whisper "Thank you." so lovingly it made the omega's heart clench.

After one of the more terrible nights, that had tortured him yet again with nightmares of the past, he didn't feel too bad for watching cartoons at noon, after discarding the breakfast dishes in the sink.

Hanji kept reminding him to take care of himself and if that meant, he wanted to indulge by watching cartoons, cuddled up on the couch with Mr. Plush in tow, so be it.

He was just zapping through the channels for an appropriate programm, when the news drew him in. It had been a while, since he had caught up with the outside world after all. He could watch the weather report without worrying after all. But what caught his eye, wasn't the weathermen, it was a photo of the Da Vinci he had stolen in France, all those months ago. His last big coup. He was wondering why they would bring it up again, as he turned up the volume a bit to listen, feeling his jaw go slack, when the news reporter kept recapping the event, before dropping the bomb, that said, they had found a suspect. 

There hadn't been any police to see him, or talk to him and he sure as hell wasn't locked up in arrest, so he kept on watching, hugging Mr. Plush tighter.

He silently begged, that they wouldn't show Farlans face, but what appeared right next to the grainy footage of the Louvre wasn't at all his blonde wild haired old boss. It was a mugshot of Nile's ugly face, as the reporter drowned on about the case. Reciting Nile's recent arrest for assault of a mated and pregnant omega, when the court had been forwarded documents that tied him to the Titan gang, drug deals and money laundering, as well as evidence of being involved with the robbery of the century, as they called it.

Levi's jaw had gone slack, lips quivering and brain going a mile a minute, as he tried to digest the way the news reporter had talked about his misery so matter of factly, after all Nile the bastard had done to him. His hands kept shaking, clenching and unclenching around Mr. Plush, as his mind reeled.

He was becoming increasingly agitated, as the tension in his body rouse, sight becoming blurry at the edges, but instead of letting himself be consumed by the tidal wave of emotions, that would have pulled him under into another brutal flashback, he grabbed the base of the land line, lying on the coffee table and hit the speed dial for Erwin's cell phone. Praying to every god in the universe, that the alpha wouldn't be stuck in another meeting.

Erwin always kept reassuring him to call, if he needed anything and right now, he didn't really know what he needed, other than the alpha's soothing voice in his ear, telling him that all was fine. That he would be ok. That he was safe and there was no crazy Marie banging down their front door. There won't be uncle Kenny calling him names and touching him in places he had no right to do so.

Despite knowing it wasn't useful, he closed his eyes, unable to keep looking at the mugshot, as the reporter drowned on and on, when his mate finally and thankfully picked up after the third ring. The call connecting, and dropping Levi from the suspense. The omega already had trouble breathing, as panic started to set in.

"Levi? … Levi?... Is everything okay, darling?" Erwin's voice finally registered in his foggy brain.

"Er.. Erw… daddy!" He managed to sniffle into the receiver.

"I'm right here darling boy. Everything's okay. What got you so upset, my sweets?" His alpha immediately picked up on his confused state, he could hear the murmur of the TV in the background, but not much more, to clue him in. Levi kept crying for a few moments longer, unable to talk, while Erwin stayed on the line patiently waiting, whispering reassurances.

After all he had always told Levi to ring him, in case of an emergency and was already packing up his briefcase, ready to hightail it home, if he had to. Fuck those papers seriously.

"There… on TV… I… I just wanted to watch cartoons." Levi sniffled down the line, feeling like an idiot all of a sudden.

"It was just on TV, baby. It can not hurt you on a screen. How about you turn that off for now?" Erwin suggested gently, still unaware, what would have upset his mate this much.

"But… but Nile and… Nile and…" Levi kept stuttering, trying to explain, stumbling over his words, as the emotions were trying to wash him away from his sanity. He couldn't hear Erwin sigh deeply over the phone.

"Shush… it's okay. Nile is in prison holding. He's still under arrest. He's not coming for you. I promise you that, darling. He can not hurt you, being contained by walls and barbed wire and guards." Erwin easily explained, loading his left over papers up on MIke's desk with an apologetic smile, before waving in the general direction of the exit and towards his phone, to let him know he had to leave, because something came up. His friend didn't mind. He could hear crying on the phone and it wasn't a hardship to add 2 and 2 together to get a picture. He waved Erwin off, who hurried home to console his distressed mate.

Erwin's steady and calm voice, helped the omega to not have a full on break down, as his alpha kept soothing him, reassuring him that he was on his way home and he wouldn't hang up on him, before he arrived back at the condo. He went through the awareness exercises they had both learned, during their sessions in the center together, one exercise after another to divert Levi's attention, in between sweet talking and a bit of smalltalk. It was an odd mix, but they had found out, it worked pretty well for Levi to keep it together.

It was still possible that he would suffer a panic attack, upon Erwin's arrival, but at least he could keep him out of harm's way, should shit hit the fan.

"Sweets, I'm almost there okay, just gonna park and hop in that elevator, can you hold on 5 more minutes for me? Give Mr. Plush a real tight cuddle, he was probably just as scared, right." Erwin murmured, aware the connection would cut off the moment he entered the steel cubicle. Levi had descended into hiccups, as he sobbed. "Yes. Yes daddy." His voice sounded so small in that moment, it almost broke the alpha's heart.

Erwin parked his car and rushed to the elevator. Every second separating him from Levi counted and he could not bear the thought, that Levi might panic, because he wasn’t there. Again. 

He hated that his mate had to suffer, because Erwin couldn’t be with him due to work, especially during these stressful times, no matter how important dealing with Nile’s case was. Hanji could tell him as often as they liked, that some time apart would do them some good, so they wouldn’t end up co-dependent, but they were mated for fucks sake and this was as co-dependent as it could get. 

Erwin tried to get his own thoughts sorted, as he pushed the button of the elevator impatiently, wondering how long Nile, despite being locked away, would haunt them. As if the elevator wasn’t already feeling too slow for his tastes, Erwin cursed his luck, as it suddenly halted on the second floor and before he could comprehend what was happening, the door opened and Marie stepped inside. 

Apparently she didn’t notice him either, looking at the floor with her head hung, but obviously fuming with the rage and anger of a desperate woman. Whatever must have been on TV, that had just distressed his Levi, she must have seen it, too. The moment Marie noticed that she wasn’t alone, but with Erwin of all people, who stared down at her with the coldest gaze he could manage, she stumbled backwards against the already closed doors. The elevator started moving again and there was nothing left for her, as she clutched her purse in front of her chest, as all fight left her. Whatever possessed her to try confronting Levi again in her own frustration and helplessness at the situation, hoping to find him alone, she crumbled away at the sight of Erwin. She tried to stutter something, which sounded like a weird mixture between an apology and accusation, but ultimately ended in the fact that Levi would never be as alone, as she was.

Whatever it was she wanted to get out, Erwin didn’t want to hear it. Nile had fucked up so bad, he had neither spare time, nor patience to handle his furious wife, especially at this moment, when he knew that Levi was just a few floors above him, waiting for him and close to panicking. 

With an annoyed huff, he hit on the button of the elevator, so it would stop at the next floor, still a few underneath his own apartment. Of all the things he didn’t need right now, was Nile’s wife throwing another fit in front of his apartment, so loud that Levi might hear her, the top of the list. The second the doors of the elevator opened, Erwin gestured for her to get out, not even wanting to waste his breath on her, but suddenly she launched forward and clung to his coat, fingers clutching at the heavy material, as she looked up to him desperately, still trying to find the right words. 

“Out!” the alpha snarled, as he pried her hands away a bit harsher than necessary, before he pointed his finger for her to leave. A sob escaped her, as tears welled up in her eyes, as she stumbled out of the elevator. The only thing coming out of her mouth he could hear, while the doors closed again, was a choked out “It wasn’t him!”

Erwin couldn’t care less for whatever she tried to tell him, the only thing on his mind was Levi. 

Levi! 

Levi and the delay she had caused. He almost felt relieved, as he finally opened the apartment door and was able to face his omega, who stood closely in front of it, together with Mr. Plush, who he held in his arms, looking a bit lost and afraid, but thankfully not as panicked anymore, as he had sounded over the phone. Still the alpha couldn’t help himself and pulled him into a tight hug, with no regard for the poor Mr. Plush squished between their bodies, as Levi returned the embrace and kept holding onto it, so he could get lifted up by the strong arms surrounding him.

“Daddy…” the omega whimpered, as he was carried into the living room, to be set on the couch again. Erwin immediately noticed that Levi must have followed his advice, since the TV was turned off and couldn’t disturb him any further, instead setting his focus on Erwin only - his daddy - who was finally here for him.

“Do you want to talk about it, honey?” the alpha inquired, after a while of simply cuddling Levi tight to his chest, crooning and whispering sweet nothings to him. Levi needed a while to put some sense into what he had just seen on the TV, stumbling over the words almost similar to the way Marie just did, but between the “Nile was there. Please don’t let him get me.” Erwin could comprehend that the news had been about a very valuable Da Vinci – probably the Mona Lisa, Erwin filled out the blanks for himself - which had been the coup of the century, where they found another suspect and it was supposed to be Nile. Although Erwin didn’t trust Nile to pull off something this epic, in such a professional and almost genius fashion, he couldn’t hide a smile. 

“But this is perfect, baby!” he exclaimed a little too enthusiastically, regarding Levi’s startled and still slightly panicked expression. “With something like that, he will never get out of prison again!” 

This seemed to be exactly the words he shouldn’t have said, since Levi’s eyes suddenly widened, as a slight shiver rushed through his body, leaving the pale skin that was exposed by his PJs covered in goosebumps.

“No, no, no, no!” the omega started chanting and Erwin was confused by the sudden fear he had triggered, with the – at least in his eyes – good news. He tried to calm Levi down, hushing and reaching out, to stroke his back in a soothing manner, but his mate was wiggling around, as if he wanted to shake the thoughts out of his head quite literally. 

“I don’t want to go to prison!” Levi’s wail died down to quiet sobs, as he somehow calmed himself down a bit, in the steady hold of his alpha’s arms. 

“But darling, you won’t go to prison. Nile will. Forever and he won’t come back ever again.” Despite Erwin using his most calming tone, the baritone of his voice could manage, Levi started struggling again, shaking his head feverently. 

“No! He will escape! And then he will come get me for what I did!” And while Levi broke down in tiny whimpers again, Marie’s words suddenly made sense to Erwin. ‘It wasn’t him’ she had told him and of course it wasn’t Nile. As if he could ever do something this brilliant, that required so much expertise and talent. 

The alpha couldn’t help to stare down at his mate in total amazement, fondness shining in his eyes, as he tried to comprehend, what the shivering mess in his arms was capable of and even more important, able to do. He probably felt a little bit too proud of his baby boy. 

“It was you? ” He crooned out, still a hint of wonder and disbelief in his voice. “You are truly amazing, Levi. My amazing little boy.”

The omega snorted at the adoration he received. It was not what he expected, but seeing the confidence of his alpha, who didn’t seem worried in the slightest, eased his own fear a bit.

“Everything will be okay, sweetheart.” Erwin gently stroked the black hair aside, so he could look at Levi properly, take in every bit of his unique features, from the slim line of his eyebrows, to the elegant bow of his upper lip. Levi was a miracle to him and he wondered what more there was for him to discover. “After all, even the police know that you are humanities cutest. They don’t need to know that you are also humanities smartest.” Erwin exclaimed with a small chuckle, before planting a kiss on his baby boy's forehead. He couldn’t wait to hear the full story at some time.

Levi marvelled at his alpha's generous proclamation. Erwin was truly amazing in his ability to comprehend and show understanding for his mates shortcomings. 

"Daddy is best." Levi whispered shyly against Erwin's lips, before hiding his head in the alpha's neck again. He was still shivering slightly, but the big tremors had subsided, so he snuggled into his daddy's hold with a big sigh.

"Thank you for coming." His lips brushed against Erwin's scent gland as he spoke, inhaling the smell of lingering cologne and the pine, firewood frequency that was his alpha.

"It's okay, babe I told you, anytime. I'm so proud you called me for help." His mate soothed, one hand rubbing gentle circles into the small back.

"But I have to say I'm curious about the Da Vinci story." Erwin admitted. Levi gave a small nod, not wanting to hide any secrets from him anymore, as he was already starting to tire out from the stress, the panic had caused him.

"Can we go nap and I'll tell you?" He inquired with a small voice.

"Of course." Erwin left a kiss on his forehead once again, before lifting Levi up easily to carry him over.

"My bed." Levi yawned, as Erwin made his way through the hallway. The alpha complied, entering Levi's own room, and setting him down on the freshly washed sheets, watching him roll up and off to the side, to allow room for the alpha to join him.

Erwin shed his suit jacket, kicked off his loafers and loosened his belt and tie, undoing a few buttons on his dress shirt, before snuggling up to his omega, still stuck, in his now wrinkled business suit pants.

"Off." Levi tugged at his pants, making Erwin smile, as he got back up, to get rid of the offending garment, before settling back in, with Levi taking up residence on his chest.

"Better now, my sweet prince?" He nuzzled the omega's hair, feeling the sharp pointed chin dig into his sternum, as the omega nodded satisfied.

"In January Farlan called, that he got a new job for me. I went to his office, I had just returned from some mission in Egypt. I was still getting that fucking sand out of my undies for fucks sake. Some client of his wanted the Mona Lisa, all expenses covered. I took my forged papers, packed and took the next plane to France. I lived there for the time it took to scout out the object. Did all my work, you know, learning their schedules, security systems, daily routines, how to get into their alarms, all that jazz. It was a nice time. Officially I was a registered housekeeper for some snobby rich lady, but she never existed, as far as I know. Had a house to myself, took my time, some days I did sightseeing, some days I just sat in the coffee shop at the corner drinking tea, enjoying the sun. The only deadline was getting shit done by august 30th, including shipment. My part was just figuring shit out and stealing it. I don't know who did the shipment." Levi re-arranged his position and dragged the duvet up higher, before he continued his story, to his attentively listening daddy. " I went in, I looked around and during lunch, there was a shift change. I dressed as one of the security guards, I had papers at hand that said the Mona Lisa was supposed to be renovated, yearly clean up or some bullshit, because Easter holiday was coming up. They are really trustworthy and religious dicks over there, so no questions asked. I might have knocked out some guy to snatch his uniform in the back rooms though, that was pretty dope, because he put up one hell of a fight. I dropped off the painting at the requested spot and pissed off. I got home, Farlan was happy and I got paid a small penny and forgot all about it. Was just a couple hundred bucks, not even 1k." Levi rambled in between yawns.

"That's a shitty pay for such an awesome job." Erwin murmured, fingers whispering through his omega's soft hair. Levi simply shrugged his shoulders, holding on tighter. "Normal job, I rarely stole shit for myself, or my own fortune. If they would have caught me, I would have had solid alibis, from a multitude of people. I liked the thrill and it paid the bills. I don't know, who pinned it on the douchebag, as if this motherfucker, would know shit about breaking and entering." Levi scoffed, trying not to say his name or even think of Nile.

"Thank you for telling me, sweetheart. So I assume, I hopefully wasn't one of your regular jobs." Erwin successfully distracted him again.

"Nohoooo." Levi yawned, rolling up more in Erwin's hold. "Shitbag's fault, talked about your map, wanted money. I had none." Levi murmured sleepily, already drifting off half way. For the first time he felt remorse for his actions. Glad that Erwin had caught him red handed, rather than busted his ass.

"You won't have to get it, you won't have to pay him. You got me and you can look at the map, whenever you like, knowing it's yours now too." Erwin soothed, watching Levi's breathing evening out into slumber.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all got your seatbelts ready, because we are going to drop into another deepth with this chapter. Therefore it's an extra long chapter, so all the possible questions, that could pop up, hopefully got answered in the process. I actually wanted to wait 2 more days, but uhm impatient a lot... ooops. Let me tell you how hella awkward it is, to edit christmas chapters in the middle of summer. The only excuse I have, we actually wrote this during Christmas! So there is that, if you feel just as awkward, please let us know. I feel like recently the interest in this fic took a plunge, but I hope you are just all really busy bees in your every day life... Thank you so much for all the support so far. It means the world to us.

It was only when the first snow flake tickled Erwin’s nose on his way back to the car, that Erwin realized, it was almost Christmas. The fourth advent being the day after tomorrow, indicating just a few more days until Christmas eve and it threw the alpha into a frenzy. 

Of course he had already prepared a few gifts for Levi, a few days ago. Sweet nothings he picked up that somehow reminded him of Levi and a few practical items, like an especially nice and fluffy winter scarf, matching his omega’s gray eyes. Nothing especially exciting, but quite thoughtful nonetheless. 

Still, he felt like he didn’t do enough to make this Christmas special again and he decided that he would get a real Christmas tree, for the first time since he was a little kid. After picking the biggest and tallest standing one from the marketplace, the alpha hated himself for the fact that his eyes had been greedier than his consideration. How the fuck was he supposed to get this green spiky monster into his apartment? He was sure, he must have made a complete idiot of himself, while dragging it out of his car and into the safety of his home. 

Levi looked at him with one eyebrow crocked, as if he was insane, muttering curses under his breath, while he watched how his alpha almost squash himself to death with the enormous tree, in an attempt to try to drag it in somehow, just because the blond knothead was too proud to ask for help. Even Mr. Plush’s little button eyes seemed to have a condescending glance in them.

“How the fuck did you even get this inside the elevator?” Levi asked, but Erwin just let out a humourless chuckle at that – he had to pull it up the whole fucking staircase - as he put his whole weight against the tree, to somehow put it in a standing position. It was almost a miracle, that both the tree and the alpha were still in a somewhat good condition.

“So where are your Christmas decorations?” Levi’s inquired instead, his usual flat and slightly bored tone evident, but the way he stared up at the tree almost in wonder showed that he was actually quite excited about his first real Christmas tree in years, if not ever. 

Still slightly panting from the exhaustion, Erwin disappeared in the small storage room at the left side of their doorway, rummaging through it, feeling Levi’s condescending glare on his back, at the prospect of keeping decorations in this place of all things and still having unpacked boxes hidden away. 

“Here they are!” Erwin presented proudly the contents of the box. he had just dragged into the living room, where he had set up the tree. There were several fairy lights and a few baubles on top of them, which were actually quite nice, Levi had to admit, shining in a pearl white color, decorated by golden ornaments. But the moment they pulled away the cables of the fairy lights, the whole disaster unraveled. Underneath it all, most baubles were actually shattered or showed some cracks, making the majority of things in the box completely useless. 

The alpha let out a faint “Oh!” of surprise, as he collected the few remaining intact items, which ended up being three sets of fairy lights and four baubles in different colors. Even the big star, which was supposed to sit on top of the tree, was missing one jag. This would be the saddest Christmas tree in history and not at all, what he had imagined for his first Christmas with his mate. 

“We could still use these.” Erwin suggested, as he held up a few utterly disturbing looking wooden figures, that were supposed to portrait angels, but looked like they could be straight out of a horror movie, considering the way they were painted. Levi looked at the objects with understandable distaste, muttering, “Like fuck, we could!” under his breath.

Erwin could feel little waves of disappointment tickle his own conscience, despite Levi telling him “It’s fine, you big loaf.” and “We can manage with that.” over and over again, although it was obvious that they would look at their tree on Christmas Eve and the only thing they could think of, would be Erwin’s slobby attitude towards material items and his inconsideration towards proper maintenance. 

The alpha didn’t listen to his mate, as he kept rummaging through the apartment to gather his scarf and coat, in order to head out and buy new decorations. Levi followed him hot on his heels, taking his own coat and was just straightening his beloved white cravat, as Erwin turned around. 

“You don’t have to come with me. It’s Saturday right before Christmas Eve. The city will be packed, because everyone still has to run errands.” Erwin excused.

“And I can’t believe we are two of them! So get a fucking move on, old man!” Levi deadpanned and walked ahead of Erwin to open the door. His sudden confidence and attitude concerned Erwin, he didn’t want to risk making Levi uncomfortable in a place full of people. On the other hand, he didn’t want to cut Levi’s wings with his own worries, caging his omega in, just because he thought he would know better. 

“Are you sure about this?” 

“Yeah and I don’t trust the shit you pick out. I don’t want to spend Christmas in front of a tree, decorated with deformed looking humanoids hanging from it. Although we could set them up, as if they were just hung and pretend it is-“ 

“Levi!” Erwin interrupted him. “I don’t want to think of him on Christmas eve.” It went without saying, who they were talking about.

“Fine, fine. Let’s pick something nice, that you can take PROPER care of, for the next years to come.” Levi emphasized and Erwin could have sworn, he saw a hint of a dirty smile on the corners of his lips, making his mouth suddenly dry like sandpaper. 

Since their latest encounter Levi continued dropping hints here and there, not downright seducing him and not yet enough for Erwin to return his omega’s advances, almost feeling shy, out of fear to overstep his boundaries. Everything with Levi was a play of hot and cold, Erwin had to admit that it excited him, not necessarily in a sexual way. He was more enourmaered by the fact, how many facets there were to Levi and how fast Levi could switch his demeanor. Although it relieved him that there were less and less times Levi used his child persona, as an escape mechanism and sometimes even used it, more as an opportunity to cuddle with his daddy and get a nice fairy tale read to him. Today Levi seemed to be in a feisty mood and Erwin wondered how long this would last, while he drove them to the nearest shopping center, praying that for once everyone would have bought presents on time. 

Of course no one did and the place was just as packed, as he had anticipated, Levi’s confidence got blown away, the moment he stepped into the enormous shopping center, filled to the brim with desperate people – mostly males, that had forgotten to buy their spouse and parents something nice. 

Erwin felt cold fingers intertwine with his own warmer ones, as Levi pressed closer to his side, before they got in motion, winding their way through the bulk, as Erwin led him to the decoration section, which turned out to be less crowded, as the numerous gift shops and jewelers. He could feel his omega’s grip losen immediately, the moment there were less people around them, but he was still amazed how well he had handled the situation, just so he could accompany his mate.

Well, and probably safe his eyes from the assault the alpha would have picked out, if Levi wouldn’t have accompanied him. Levi had a better taste than him, when it came to home décor and sadly it showed.

“We could make the tree look like it had just snowed?” Levi suggested, as he was already piling package over package of fake snow and lametta into the card, while Erwin chose a set of white baubles, similar to his remaining ones, as well as another big star for the top of the tree. 

They carried all the stuff to the car, while Erwin carried most of it, but allowed Levi to keep a hold on the more delicate baubles. The alpha felt like he could get used to going out with his mate, doing simple things like that. The smell of cocoa and mulled wine filling the air, made him contemplate a brief trip to the Christmas market, but he felt that dragging Levi into a bunch of potentially drunk strangers, might ruin their evening. 

His baby boy had already been so strong, the whole two hours they had spent in the shopping center, choosing decorations and festive treats, with a surprising amount of delight and joy, as well as picking up some last minute necessities. Levi was learning and shamelessly using the fact that Erwin had a hard time telling him no, when he felt so much fondness toward his mate. 

Occasionally Erwin had felt cold fingers clutch his hands tight and the small body pushing closer to him, as Levi hid his face against the alpha’s bigger chest, whenever too many people were around, almost as if he was trying to coat himself in his alpha’s calm demeanor. It seemed, as long as Levi was able to focus on Erwin and Erwin alone, he felt comforted and less exposed, despite being hyper aware of his surroundings all the time. Instead of wasting away their time and patience on overpriced punch, with bad company, at the Christmas market, they headed back to the food aisle to stack up on baking ingredients for cookies, cocoa and cinnamon sticks, as well as marshmallows to indulge in, in the comfort of their home.

Back in the car on their way home, Levi couldn’t help himself, he sighed deeply, but seconds later the most beautiful smile overtook his features, beaming at Erwin, proudly of what they had accomplished together. His eyes already sparkling at the prospect of decorating the tree with his alpha, who had put so much effort into all of this. 

His words about the destroyed baubles might have been a bit harsh, but nevertheless he appreciated all Erwin did for him. For all he knew, the blond giant possibly had dragged the tree up the staircase all by himself, because he still couldn’t wrap his head around, how else Erwin had hauled that massive pine up to their apartment. There was no way it had actually fit into the elevator. 

Erwin was holding his hand over the gearshift, his palm warm and big around his own small freezing fingers.

“How about we make some cookies afterwards, baby boy?” he suggested softly, as they were waiting at a red light, a corner away from their underground garage.

“We could try?” Levi said softly, wondering if Erwin even knew how to bake, without burning the house down in the process. If anything he would find out soon enough.

When they hauled their shopping up to the apartment, Levi made sure Erwin wouldn’t find the little extra, he had sneaked in, thinking that the desk manager he had brought for Erwin a few weeks ago, wasn’t enough already. 

The item was small enough to fit into the pocket of his coat, so it was easier to hide from his very smart alpha. He wasn’t sure if Erwin would like it, but he thought he could at least try. It was one of those little plant and flower houses for kids, with an easy enough inhabitant to take care of, until you could transfer it into one of those glass bubble things, that would keep it forever fresh and sealed. 

It was very cheesy indeed, maybe even a tad childish, but he had seen it and had fallen in love with it. A bit like the rose from the beauty and the beast, - which was one of Levi’s favourite bedtime stories, because Erwin got all the voices right and the alpha seemed to enjoy reading it just as much. 

Should it come to fruition, it would look amazing on the little piano in Erwin’s library, which he realized, no one had played so far. He wondered if Erwin could play or if he kept it around for decoration and as a pure stand-in of fortune.

When the front door closed behind them, all tension drained from Levi’s shoulders. He had enjoyed the outing with his mate, but it left him a little on edge nevertheless. Erwin had been amazing all throughout, not once complaining, when he had stopped in the middle of something, to hide his face in the strong chest, because there were just too many people rushing around them, too many scents assaulting his nose or the occasional crashing sound, from dropped items or mislead shopping cars. They got out of their clothes, leaving them neatly at the hangers and shoes lined up to the side of the wall, before unpacking their purchases. 

The tree was still standing proud, taking up most of the right half of the living room, almost reaching up to the high ceiling. Levi had been a bit doubtful about the old tree stand, Erwin had unearthed, but the massive screws, even if a little rusty in places, were doing their job in securing it in place. For a second he had suspected, they would return to a trashed living room instead, covered in pine needles.

Erwin stocked their pantry with the few groceries and baking goods they had acquired, as well as the rest of their necessities, as Levi snuck off to hide away his additional gift in the depths of Erwin’s wardrobe, among unused boxes, stumbling up on something he hadn’t noticed in there before. 

His eyes went as big as saucers, as his hands brushed up against expensive leather. Despite the dim lightning, he forgot all about unpacking the baubles in the living room, as he laid eyes on thick leather straps, gleaming metal and an impressive black leather coat. It was so unlike Erwin to own clothes like that. There was a pair of sinfully tight Leather pants along with a burgundy red dress shirt, on the next two hangers, at the very back row.

Jesus Christ. 

Levi was by no means a religious person, but that was indeed a tiny bit scary to him, while it also piqued his curiosity.

He debated, whether or not it would be safe to just ask Erwin. Maybe it had been a halloween costume? He took a step further into Erwin’s walk in closet, fingers wandering over the silk like material of the dress shirt, gliding through his fingertips easily, as his socked feet collided with a pair of high leather boots, lined up at the very back, there was also metal and wood peeking out next to it, but Levi took a step back, instead of investigating further. The omega suddenly felt like he was intruding on something, he wasn’t supposed to know about. If Erwin had hid it this far back in his closet, there had to be a reason, he had done it. He hastily stumbled back out, face pale and ashen from the shock of his discovery, as Erwin peeked around the door frame.

“Ah, here you are. Is everything okay, darling? I thought, you wanted to unpack those baubles?” Erwin looked at him, concern showing all over his features. Levi opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, not knowing what to say.

Had Erwin seen him coming out of the closet? Did he know that Levi had been snooping around? 

Erwin had been wondering what was taking Levi so long, so he had followed him to the bedroom, worried that he might have cut his fingers on the firm plastic wrapping of the bauble package and figuring, that he might need some help. 

But when he caught a glimpse of Levi hastily exiting out of the closet, looking like he had seen a ghost and staring at him, with his mouth gaping. Erwin knew exactly what Levi had just found. 

The look on Levi’s face reflected a mixture of guilt and shame, at Erwin walking in on him, not quite overstepping his boundaries, but being a bit too curious for his own good. A hint of fear, but also curiosity shone in those gray eyes, as he returned the alpha’s blue gaze, looking as natural as possible, despite noticing that it was futile. 

“Yeah, I… I was looking for the scissors, but found none.” Levi muttered and if Erwin hadn’t noticed his mate's discomfort by now, this blatant lie would have slapped it into his face in all its shining glory. 

“I doubt you would find those in my closet.” Erwin deadpanned, raising one eyebrow. “You look scared, sweety. Did you find something unsettling?” He knew that he was walking on thin ice, with a confrontation this direct, but he needed Levi to voice his concerns. Just the thought of Levi bottling everything up again, instead of talking to him, his omega allowing the underlying fear of it to infect their relationship like a deadly virus, until it blew up fatally, made Erwins blood run cold. There was a reason he had hidden all the stuff from the playroom. He didn’t want Levi to feel obligated to cater to his fetishes, if he didn’t want to do so on his own viation. Now having to see Levi even the slightest bit terrified of his discoveries, he scolded himself for not being more careful. He should have just left all of the stuff at Mike’s, just like he did for the other alpha, as Nana had moved in. 

“Nope, nothing, but your Hawaiian shirts, which will give me fucking nightmares.” Levi defended himself, with a pitiful attempt at his trade mark bad humor, but it lacked his usual snark to be truly convincing to his alpha.

“Are you sure about that, baby? Or should daddy check the closet for monsters?” 

Now Levi looked positively embarrassed, his cheeks flushed pink at the slightly teasing tone. He was giving Levi a gap to escape the whole situation, so he could recline and leave to get some scissors from the kitchen. Instead the omega stood there and stared at him. 

Erwin could feel his curiosity burning on his tongue, as if it was his own, so he fixated the gray eyes, as he moved closer the closet with slow steps, somewhat challenging Levi to speak up or leave the situation. He had almost reached it and was about to lift his hand to open it again, as Levi caught his wrist and stopped him. 

“Is it a Halloween costume?” the omega blurted out.

Erwin had almost laughed out loud at the adorable question of his omega and some fatherly instincts inside of him, wanted to tell his adorable baby boy, that indeed, this was just a costume for going on a trick and treat. But realistically he knew that Levi wouldn’t believe him, despite how much he wanted to. 

Aside from that, he didn’t want to build their further relationship on a lie and he wished that he could have been more open about this a lot sooner, instead of treating it like his dirty little secret. But he had been afraid to scare Levi off, was still afraid of scaring Levi off and the innocent question showed exactly what Levi wanted it to be: innocent. 

Of course – Erwin figured – Levi would not be into it, after all that had happened to him, but there was no point in lying to him about it either.

“No, darling, it isn’t.” He answered, as he tried to find the words to explain this, without creeping his omega out. “Do you remember when I tied you up?” Levi nodded faintly, but didn’t say a word. “For me, this is about control. You might have noticed that I like being in control. A lot.” Erwin continued and the omega snorted at that understatement of the century.

“Whatever you found inside the closet can be part of that, but it doesn’t have to. It can stay hidden inside it forever and we will never talk about it again. I can trash it or burn it, if you hate it and it scares you, but we can also try it out together. With time, starting slowly. Some of it, or all of it, or nothing at all. It is up to you, Levi. I love you more than the thrill of being in control. I would love to share it with you someday. This is why I kept it hidden. I didn’t want to flaunt my preferences in your face after-“ Erwin felt his mouth run dry at his heartfelt confession and licked his lips, trying to gather his own composal . “- all that I did to you.” 

He was ready to drop the topic, the moment Levi told him stop, or no and even expected him to turn on his heels and walk out. “I didn’t want to misuse your trust and pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, or could make you feel uncomfortable. I love you Levi and what I desire most in this world, is for you to be truly happy.” Silence enveloped them after Erwin had finished his genuine speech and Levi considered him with an indifferent expression, the alpha had trouble to read. The lack of an actual reaction scared the tall man. He wanted Levi to yell at him, to slap him to run away, to do anything else than just stare at him, speechless. 

“You would throw it away?” Levi suddenly disrupted the silence.

“Yes.” Erwin was quick to latch onto it.

“Completely trash it?” the omega inquired.

“Yes.” 

“Burn it?” Levi went on.

“Yes.”

“Never voice your own needs and desires again and dance on the grave of your own dignity, just to keep me happy?” Levi’s eyes were getting colder, with each word he said.

“Yes.” Erwin had answered all his questions, without the slightest bit of hesitation. 

“You are a fucking idiot.” his omega snorted. Seeing the hint of a smile on Levi’s features made Erwin almost splutter out another ‘yes!’’, but it was true - he would do everything he had just affirmed, if it meant, that Levi would stay with him. 

“And I would be an idiot, too.” Levi added, as he pulled his alpha into a gentle hug, that didn’t last long, because Levi was patting his arm, as he looked up to the taller man with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. 

“I’ll consider your gracious offer, but maybe you can convince me otherwise, Sir?”

Levi was treading a fine line with this bold statement towards his alpha. Erwin could possibly see right through his masked bravado, because as much as he wanted to give in and try out the pervert’s whole arsenal, right then and there. He knew he was far from ready for it.

It piqued his curiosity, nothing odd about that, but he struggled to comprehend how this was supposed to be enjoyable, when he tried to imagine Erwin actually punishing him.

The thought, that Erwin would willingly cause him pain and that he was supposed to like it, was hard to grasp. Left alone the fact that Erwin would be getting off to this. Levi felt like he had been thrown into a tumble dryer, his thoughts and emotions going a mile a minute, trying to process anxiety and the undercurrent of fear that had been installed into him, through previous encounters.

Just the passing thought, how much his own stupid plan with Nile had failed and the still sore reminder of how Erwin had claimed him for the first time, had gone down, was enough to raise questions, even without throwing Kenny's bad parenting into the mix of fatal disaster.

Erwin patiently waited for him, one hand calmly resting on the small of his back, watching the different expression filter across his omega's face. He didn't want to let go just yet, while he was ready to do exactly as he had just offered, he felt Levi needed his guidance more than ever, without any impulse actions.

"Could you… I don't know, maybe put on the coat?" His omega asked hesitantly, still curious about the garment.

"I can do that for you, my sweet prince." His alpha reaffirmed, taking a step back into the closet, to reach and pull out the hanger in question. The coat turned out to be more of a cloak after all, sans the actual hood. It was longer than Levi had expected, reaching to Erwin's mid calf, as the alpha pulled it over his shoulders. The leather fit snugly, but not too tight around his body, emphasizing his biceps and waist in a tantalizing way. He left it open in the front, but Levi could spot a hidden zipper, as Erwin smiled down at him, a little amused at the omega's baffled expression. His gaze following the little one, who slowly circled him, to gaze at him from every angle, fingers brushing across the expensive leather in some places, before they stopped at the embroidered emblem across his back.

"What does it mean?" Levi inquired, voice wavering a bit.

"It means freedom. We used to call them the wings of freedom, only a few of my friends have similar robes. I used to wear it outside in private, rather than inside, because it gets really warm." Erwin slowly turned around, making the fabric whisper against his sweatpants, as he sat down at the foot of the bed, waiting for Levi to step closer.

"I don't understand." His omega whispered, as he took a seat in Erwins lap, looking up at him sceptically.

"You know, some people enjoy letting go of control and boundaries. They tend to feel ganged up in their everyday responsibilities, unable to really let loose, even when home alone eating junk food and watching Netflix. They always have to behave and be perfect. Whatever you want to call it. They seek out distraction and sometimes, distraction is found by giving yourself over to someone else. It can be a permanent fixture for some people, something they live 24/7, while others only allow themselves certain amounts of time to unwind and keep it solely to the confines of their own bedrooms. As I said before, this concept can be adapted to everybody's needs. There is do's and don'ts and there is no strict must. You never have to do anything, that makes you feel uncomfortable, just to please your dom. You never have to give away your control, if you don't want to." Levi looked at him a little confused. 

Wasn't that concept contradicting itself?

"The thing is, while I thrive on taking control and taking care of you, you are the one to call the shots. You can always reject an idea, you can say no at any given time. Saying no doesn't equal a punishment." Erwin explained, starting to sweat a little under the thick leather. There was a sparkle in Levi's eyes, that hadn't been there before. The idea to be the one to say ‘No!’ at any time, was very appealing to him.

"Does it mean you stop what you are doing, when I say no? And why do we need punishments after all then?" he was wringing his hands nervously.

"I promise, I will always stop when you say no. There is a certain word you choose, we can use too, there is an ample system to work with, or even both." Erwin explained the basics. 

It wasn't like Levi had not ever heard about it before. In fact he had, it just never had been something, he had considered for himself to be into.

"What are the no no's?" He dared to ask.

"That varies, depending on what you want, or don't want to do." Erwin replied, keeping it shallow to not overwhelm Levi.

"No! I mean, what are your no no's, daddy?" There sure must be something Erwin didn't like and what if it was something Levi actually liked? Did that mean, Erwin would never indulge him ever, in that regard? Would he not be allowed to do certain things any longer, because of those rules? For a second it felt like back with Kenny, who did only tell him 3 basic rules and then proceeded to keep the omega on his toes, for every possible violation of a law, he didn't even know existed, in the first place.

"Levi. This is not going to be a 24/7 power trip. Whatever things we might agree on in the future, they only apply for a scene in the bedroom. Only then, in that allotted time and only in this room." Erwin assured him, wondering if now would be a good time, to let Levi know, that if they indulged in this specific scenario, he would have to leave his daddy at the doorstep, or otherwise Erwin wouldn't play with him. He still wanted him to have the best of both worlds, without feeling too much restriction.

“Nonetheless there are still a few boundaries we need to set. A no-no for me would be, that I don’t want to ever hurt you in a permanent way, meaning that for example, I would never cut your skin, so blood play or any sort of knife play or weaponry is out of discussion.” Erwin continued with one of his more obvious dislikes, to give Levi an idea, before he could brace himself for the one ultimate no-no, he prayed Levi would understand. 

The thought alone, that he tarnished Levi’s skin permanently, with anything else except for his bonding mark, made him feel sick. He knew that there were quite a lot of alpha’s getting off on seeing all those cruel scars. The deeper, the better, crisscrossing on the skin of their mates, but Erwin wasn’t one of them. He preferred – and also enjoyed immensely – leaving temporary marks, like hickeys or little love bites, handprints or slight bruises, but nothing that would last forever. Seeing faint purple flowers bloom, on the white of his mate’s skin made his whole body tingle with excitement. 

Levi following his words with a concentrated expression that did show some relief, the moment he understood what Erwin had just told him, showed the alpha, Levi was able to comprehend the impact of what they were just discussing, despite his state. 

It also made him nauseous, just to imagine the disappointment in those gray eyes he loved so much. But he reasoned, that it would be for the best to get this out of his system rather sooner than later, before he had Levi calling out for his daddy mid intercourse, or even worse completely fall into his little persona during sex. 

This was something Erwin wanted to avoid at all costs, especially regarding their first mating, it would spike no pleasure in him, but only make him feel like he was violating and abusing the trust his little boy had gifted him with. 

Erwin took a deep breath and held the gaze of his mate, making sure that Levi was listening to him intently, as he continued. He had gotten back up from the bed, to give Levi some room. “If we are to do this together, I need you to understand that I won’t be your daddy inside this room. Instead I can be Sir or your master. Of course I will still be your daddy outside of this room, but we need to keep this separated.” 

Levi said nothing upon hearing this, he was still processing the words, but seemed to understand their meaning. Erwin just hoped that his last bit was enough to reassure Levi, that he would always be his precious boy and that pausing it for a set amount of time, would not invalidate this special bond they shared and had built trust upon. Actually Erwin saw this as the contrary. 

To him, the separation was necessary, so their shared trust as daddy and little boy could remain untarnished and he hoped that Levi could see it this way, too. At least with time. It was a lot to take in all at once. 

“I know that this must be a lot at once and quite overwhelming for you.” He continued after a while, since Levi still hadn’t voiced his opinion on this. His omega was now looking quite uncomfortable and staring down at his own sock clothed feet. Erwin’s eyes also drifted to his omega’s small feet, shuffling around slightly and curling his tiny toes a bit, inside the blue fuzzy socks, ornamented with cute snowflakes and Christmas trees. Immediately he hated himself for overwhelming Levi with this. For not realizing that this might have been too much for his little omega – his little boy – to be standing in front of him, all tall and broad, clothed in an imposing black leather coat. He was a dominating presence like this, it was the purpose of this outfit, to enhance his natural dominant appearance even further, but the rush it usually gave him. The power he felt running through him, the moment he put on his coat, that made his posture straighten and his stance widen, it felt all wrong like this and Levi must have noticed. This wasn’t his daddy standing in front of him like this and although he had put on a brave attitude in the beginning, trying to be his bratty self, it crumbled to dust with every second his daddy was gone. So Erwin removed the coat from his body and put it neatly back onto the hanger and into his walk in closet. He noticed straight away that Levi’s posture relaxed immediately, as his alpha stood in front of him again. 

There was a time and place for this, but it wasn’t now. Levi sniffed the air slightly, moving closer to his mate, to inhale his scent, scrunching his nose at the unfamiliar hint the coat had left behind. The moment the leather was off his shoulders, Erwin noticed how much the heavy scent of the fabric had overshadowed his own scent. There had been a time, where he used to wear this outfit on a regular basis, so much actually, that the heavy smell had mixed with his natural scent. To the point that it was an actual part of him and he hadn’t even noticed its absence, since Levi turned his world upside down. 

To Erwin this still felt right after all this time and for Levi it seemed manageable, hopefully something he could get used to, if his expression was anything to go by. The omega looked content, that he could still inhale the comforting smell of his daddy, the moment the coat was off. 

“You don’t have to decide now, whether or not you want to try it out. You have as much time to think about it, as you need. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to voice them. Although I won’t deny that I would like to explore this together with you, there won’t be any punishments or bad feelings, if you deny me this.” Erwin added, as he pulled Levi into a hug, holding him gently in his arms, planting a brief kiss on his forehead, like he grew to love to do. Being able to hold Levi like this was more important than the simple gratification of his own desires and he was serious about burning all of it down, the moment Levi asked him to.

“How about we finally unpack those baubles waiting for us and start decorating the tree?” Erwin proposed and Levi agreed, little socked feet sliding over their hardwood floor, ahead of his alpha, in search of the scissors to complete his original task. 

As the alpha closed the closet and his eyes fell on the slight glimpse of his Saint Andrews cross hidden away in there, he wondered – if Levi was ever to agree to this - how the fuck he could explain, what their safe place had been before? How he would explain the ‘slight’ modification of his playroom.

It was a lot of information Erwin had shared with him and it kept Levi's mind reeling, even when his daddy was back and they went to decorate the tree. He was standing in the kitchen with a pair of scissors in his hand, but didn't trust himself to actually use them to open the packages. For some reason it seemed, this trivial task would require a lot of concentration, in order to not cut himself accidentally. He carried them over to the living room, placing them on the coffee table, waiting for Erwin to return, while he started to sort through the different decorations they had brought. 

It didn't take long for Erwin to come back to him, carrying through 2 heavy mugs filled with hot chocolate, he had prepared beforehand and thankfully his alpha didn't question him, when he handed him the scissors, but got to work right away.

They didn't talk a lot this time around, Levi wasn't even sure, if he could manage an actual conversation, with all the different thoughts and emotions tumbling through his head. Instead they relied on soft touches, standing close to one another, as they wrapped the fairy lights around the massive tree. Erwin stretched all the way up he could reach, without using the step ladder, wrapping the wire around and around, while Levi handed him the candle shaped lights, to keep them from tangling up. Levi set his hand on Erwin's strong arm, to direct him to a better spot for the crystal white bauble in his hand. They took small breaks in between to sip at their drinks. Erwin lifting Levi up with ease onto his wide shoulders and holding him secure, to place the big silver star on the top.

It felt good like this and Levi appreciated the comfortable silence to sort through his head.

They cuddled up on the couch together, sipping their lukewarm chocolate, the omega munching on a cookie, as he critically observed their tree. 

They had forgone the lametta after all, because it would be a bitch to clean up, but Erwin had some left over cans of snow spray, they had used instead. Levi already had an idea for the lametta, but he kept it to himself. With some crafting he should be able to make some nice bows or little packages out of it, they could be used to decorate the gifts, or to put them in the kitchen. He was no top notch crafts guy, but he liked to be creative sometimes, ever since Nana showed him a few tricks on some rainy afternoon.

Erwin had turned on their DVR at some point, watching some previously recorded food network, while Levi sat cuddled up to him, not really paying attention.

Erwin had said he would leave the daddy outside their bedroom, which did unsettle him, but possibly not for the reasons, the alpha imagined it would. Levi loved the attention Erwin showered him with as his daddy, there were days, he'd felt so depressed, that not even a ray of sunshine would lift his mood. But then Erwin would be there and chase the clouds away, by catering to every need the omega could possibly have. It eased the burden of responsibility from his shoulders, it made him feel less alone and first and foremost, it made him feel loved and needed. However, he had never actually thought about Erwin as his daddy in any sexual way. It wasn't about that and it should never be. This way it made sense that Erwin would ban the daddy from their bedroom activities.

Levi had no urge to indulge in any sort of play or sexy times, when he was feeling small anyway. 

But at the same time, this journey was something new, something entirely different. A walk into the unknown and he would be lying, if it wasn't a scary thought. Levi hated feeling scared, even more than he had before. But then again he had never been this jumpy, before all the shit with Nile had gone down. It certainly wasn't the prospect of adding something new to their intimate times, that had fueled his curiosity. It was the way Erwin had talked about control and letting go of control. He couldn't really imagine letting go to a degree, that he would hand over himself to the hands of his alpha, without any second thoughts. But maybe, just maybe it would work. 

While his fears now connected to sexual intercourse, thanks to what happened and all the shit of repressed memories, he hadn't bothered to work on, in all those years. Being close to Erwin and being sexually active with Erwin, had become two separate things. Maybe, if he was in control, Erwin could help him enjoy the roll in the sheets, instead of looking at it as a core he had to do, to please his alpha, or his instincts, when he was a needy bitch in heat.

"If you keep thinking so hard, you are going to break a tooth, my love." Erwin muttered gently, his big thumb rubbing soothing circles into Levi's tightly clenched jaw. Levi tried to relax, his head resting in Erwin's lap, he stared up at his alpha's ocean blue eyes, looking - searching for answers to questions, he didn't even voice.

"Daddy?" He dared to whisper.

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere my sweet boy." Erwin replied straight away, his other hand coming up to pet the raven's hair.

"Is there… could there be…. I don't know." He sighed defeated, not knowing how to explain.

"What do you want to know?" Erwin inquired softly, all his attention back on the omega, laying in his lap. Levi's cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment, as he stumbled over his own words.

"If daddy stays out of the bed room, what about afterwards?" His voice was almost drowned out by the TV programm. The gunmetal eyes seemed a bit teary, Levi's small frame all tense, as he waited for Erwin's answer.

“Oh honey.” Erwin crooned and turned down the volume of the TV show. He still felt a bit conflicted about the aftercare, since he hadn’t imagined himself being daddy during this, but he felt like he could compromise in this regard. Being daddy was already about taking care of his little boy, this way it wouldn’t feel that wrong anymore, he figured. 

“Afterwards, daddy will be there to take good care of you, if you need him to be. Daddy won’t just go away forever, just because we are deciding to try out another type of relationship. Remember, all of those personas are still me, just different facets of myself. I will always make sure you are taken care of. I can do this as Sir, or your master, if you are willing to give it a try. But I can still be your daddy, or simply your partner Erwin during aftercare, since this is all about you feeling comfortable and safe with me. All of me. No matter what. I don’t want you to feel restricted by this, when it is supposed to be quite the opposite.” Erwin never stopped caressing Levi with gentle hands, while he tried his best to explain this to Levi. He could have talked hours upon hours about the topic, but he chose to focus on what mattered to Levi the most, which seemed to be taken care of. 

This made the alpha wonder, what misleading images Levi had in his mind, when he was confronted with the topic, almost as if he saw this lifestyle, as an excuse for the alpha to brutally fuck their mates into submission and getting off on the control. Only that it wasn’t that simple and it hurt him a bit, that Levi subconsciously still was afraid that his alpha wouldn’t take good care of him anymore, the moment he wouldn’t be his daddy and would instead use and abuse him to his heart’s content.

“I would like to share this freedom with you, but it doesn’t exclude taking care of each other, especially me taking care of you. Aftercare is actually an important part of the whole thing and you know how much I enjoy rewarding you.” Seeing Levi’s concentrated expression overcloud with worry. Instantly the alpha knew he had chosen the wrong words somehow, but wasn’t quite sure, where exactly he fucked up, so he waited patiently for Levi to voice his concerns. After all, if this was supposed to work, Levi needed to learn to speak up. Erwin didn’t want to think of a situation, where his mate could feel uncomfortable or even pained, but was too afraid to indicate his discomfort, with the color coding or safe word. 

“And what happens if I disappoint Sir? Won’t there be any aftercare, because I don’t deserve a reward? Won’t daddy come back, until I made Sir happy?” Levi finally stuttered out, his head hung, not able to look his mate in the eyes, as if he was already ashamed of himself and afraid to fuck this up. 

“Daddy will always come back, sweetheart and I doubt that Sir could ever be truly disappointed in you, since he loves you just as much, as daddy does. There will be a special word you can use that Sir has to listen to. You use it, if he makes you truly uncomfortable and then he will stop.” 

“Like a magic word?” Levi questioned, as his eyes followed what happened on the TV, despite not truly listening to it. 

“Yes, like a magic word, darling. It is like a spell that makes Sir leave and daddy come back.”

On the outside Levi seemed fine with the answer, uttering a hum of approval, but his attention had already shifted mostly onto the TV again, as he cuddled up against his mate. Erwin took a sip of cocoa and was about to reach out for the remote control, to turn up the TV again, as Levi added in a shy whisper: “And daddy doesn’t want to… fuck me?”

Erwin almost choked on his cocoa, as he immediately responded with a brisk “NO!” his voice was a little too loud, startling his mate and making him flinch in his arms. 

Hearing this word from Levi in this state no less, sounded so vulgar to Erwin. There was no arousal growing in him, when Levi was his little boy, no hidden perverted fascination, just the need to take care of him. 

“Good.” Levi muttered and rested his head on his mate’s chest. “I’d never see daddy that way either.” 

For a while he tried to follow the series on the screen, but it was obvious, that his eyelids grew heavier and heavier with every second, dropping shut every other moment and Erwin knew it was time to finally turn off the TV and carry his baby boy to bed. He intended to bring Levi into his own room and tuck him in with a kiss goodnight, allow him to get a good night's rest and some time to think it over, without his judgement being clouded by the overbearing presence of his alpha. But Levi obviously had other plans and tucked on Erwins sleeve, looking longingly into the direction of their safe space. 

Laying down with Levi in the big bed, in the middle of their safe space, made Erwin feel weird after their discussion and he was grateful that Levi was too tired to question the none relaxed posture of his mate, lying next to him. 

“Daddy?” Levi mumbled, just as the alpha thought he was asleep. 

“Yes, darling?” he answered, his voice already slightly scratchy with exhaustion. 

“Will we bake cookies tomorrow?”

“Yeah, ‘course we will, baby boy.” With a yawn Erwin moved closer to Levi’s body, spooning his little boy effectively. He couldn’t help bury his nose into the delicate neck in front of him and inhale that sweet scent that made him feel like home. 

“Can we also make a gingerbread house?” Levi yawned, his thumb already halfway to his mouth.

“Sure thing, sweety.” Erwin mumbled, before sleep enveloped him. He just barely managed to make the mental note, to get one of those prepared sets, that even an idiot like him could manage to put together, right before breakfast, possibly before Levi was up anyway.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks guys for all the love and support and sorry for being late. I'm such a mess, but I also had little troubles with Windows updates and my ever sucking ass time managment. Please take these 8,4k as a sorry. It was hard to find a good moment to break for the next chapter in the current proceedings. So you might have waited a little longer, but get a massive update instead. That's a deal? Please enjoy reading.  
I also posted another story last weekend instead, it's something, that's been on my mind for a while and kept distracting me from editing too. So if you have read my Mike/Nana [Simply Purrfect](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25529998) instead - Thank you <3

Saturday morning, 3 days away from Christmas eve found Levi still asleep by 9 a.m., which was very out of the ordinary. Erwin hadn't woken to him thrashing around that night, which hopefully meant he hadn't suffered any nightmares, but was merely exhausted and catching up on sleep. However it gave him the perfect excuse to prepare breakfast in bed for his little one and run some errands afterwards. He knew they had enough ingredients stored in their pantry to make simple chocolate chip cookies, along with some of the other christmasy stuff Levi had picked out and hopefully knew how to bake, because Erwin was fucking lost in this regard. But he sleepily remembered the request for a gingerbread house, so he still had to get that sorted. 

It would possibly end up as decoration, to be tossed out later, since he himself wasn't very fond of gingerbread and imagining Levi taking on that sugary mess all by himself, must give the omega cavities, so it was totally out of the question.

Erwin had just finished stepping the tea, making a mental note to grab some more oranges on the way, when his cellphone chirped, from its position on the breakfast nook. Hanji wanted him to pick up some documents from Mike's desk at work, to reverse them and told him to stop by, to get a new prescription for Levi's contraceptive suppressants. They couldn't give him any combination prescription for heat relief, as long as he hasn't had a full heat. Which sorely reminded Erwin, how much time had already passed. 

Hanji and Moblit kept reassuring them that Levi wasn't broken, just bent, that it would eventually fix itself, with just enough time for his hormones to settle back into rhythm. But Erwin would personally kill Nile, if it turned out differently.

His gloomy thoughts must have changed his scent, because as he went to wake his omega, Levi was already peeking around the door frame. He seemed drawn into himself, with a deep frown on his face, as he rubbed one of his eyes sleepily, while tugging at the big shirt, he had worn to sleep.

"Erwin?" His voice was still small, but laden with seriousness.

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you baby." the alpha apologized, relaxing his posture, by taking deep breaths, to not appear frightening.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen?" Levi whispered concerned. The chili pepper scent of Erwin's anger was still stinking up the place and it had woken him in a panic, obstructing his breathing, considering the last time his daddy had smelled like that, wasn't a memory he'd like to revisit.

"Everything is fine, don't worry." Erwin tried his best to replace his rage smell with calming pheromones. Upon closer inspection, Levi seemed a bit wary and shaken up. The omega gave him a sceptical raised eyebrow, before yawning and turning around to clamber back under the sheets. He didn't comment on it further, but thanked Erwin for his effort in making breakfast, while still hesitant to indulge in cuddling up. Something must have upset Erwin. Something he didn't share, so Erwin was yet again keeping secrets. It made Levi uncomfortable to be left in the dark. 

Did something happen with Nile's clusterfuck of a process? Some other bad news? He really didn't know and Erwin wasn't offering up any information. Or maybe he was starting to get hit by a rut? Kenny had always been extra pissy and aggressive, the week prior to his rut, but Levi wouldn't know shit about alpha biology like that. He also didn't like to compare his mate to his uncle, the thought alone, left him ready to shower in bleach again. He remained tensed up, while they ate, before Erwin told him, that he had to leave for a short while, to run some very last minute errands, but if he wanted, he could try to get a headstart on the baking, with the ingredients already stocked in the pantry.

Levi nodded stiffly, hardly containing himself from sprinting for the shower, the minute Erwin had slipped out of bed to get ready. The remaining smell was making him restless and he didn't like it one bit.

The moment Erwin was out of the door, Levi attacked the apartment with a scent canceler, until he could breathe easier again, before actually getting to the baking. The chocolate chip cookies were the easiest to prepare, mixing butter, sugar and vanilla extract with baking soda, salt, flour and some chocolate chips didn't take too long and while the dough rested in the fridge, he got comfortable with Erwin's laptop at the breakfast nook, to browse for recipes for the christmas varieties. 

He had a fair understanding how it went down, but forgot most of it, especially the how much, of what, goes where, when and so on - part. But to find exactly, what he was looking for from memory alone was hard. Most people's traditional recipes had additional ingredients he was lacking in, or missing entirely, which he noticed like 5 minutes into the video. 

Before long the internet had successfully distracted him from his original goal, as he found himself reading through BDSM blogs and other fetish related websites. It was even more complicated, than his alpha had elaborated. Everybody had some different opinion on the same thing, going back and forth and what not, that it confused him even more than necessary.

One of those websites had linked videos to help explain different topics, Levi wasn't too keen on actually watching, but he ended up clicking on one accidentally, while attempting to scroll down, watching a new window popup with a black background and burgundy font on top. He wanted to exit at the title alone, which proclaimed "Progress of well deserved punishment, served by the Commander."

He cringed at the cross and heavy duty chains, as well as other padded furniture - one reminding him of a horse actually, that filled the loading screen. The walls were painted a deep red and there didn't seem to be any windows in the setup room. This is what Levi imagined a brothel to look like, one of those dungeons to lock up an omega in heat, to give as many alpha's as possible their fill. They were possibly lined up out of view of the camera, like obedient little dick soldiers, thirsty for their own round of punishment. 

The word alone made his skin crawl. 

Punishment.

As if the omega would always be the one to make a mistake, that in turn would warrant being bodily punished for it.

The sub, it didn't mention the guys dynamic, was slightly suspended on the St. Andrews cross with his arms and legs spread, chained up in heavy metal. It definitely wasn’t a church related cross, that much he could tell. His face was covered by a full on black leather mask, but enough of his body was on show, to determine it was a guy hung up there. The camera panned across him in different angles, Levi could see a set of drawers along one wall, that seemed familiar at first glance, but he discarded the thought, because the room was shrouded in complete darkness, outside of the focus of the camera.

The sudden crack of a whip landing on the naked skin of the guys back echoed through the speakers, as a high pitched voice screamed "One, Sir." startling Levi so badly he jumped in his seat, splashing tea over the side of the breakfast nook.

The whip cracked again over the right shoulder blade, leaving a stingy red imprint, as the guy screamed again. Levi realized soon enough, that the sub was counting the blows raining down on his backside.

It was hard to look at, reminding him way too much of Kenny, whipping out his belt to punish him, before… no he really shouldn't think about it. His nails biting red moons in the palm of his hand, as he watched on.

At the count of five the whip was switched to a riding crop, followed by a deep commanding alpha voice, as the master stepped into the view of the camera, blonde hair reflecting in the camera lense, which made Levi gasp. The next thing he registered was the emblem of two wings, entwined on the back, as the crop harshly bit into flesh. He knew that symbol and it sent his mind into a spin. 

The camera switched to a close up of the submissive's leather clad face, as he was talked to. The dialogue flying right over Levi's head, as he registered Erwin's face, followed by the violent sound of the riding crop meeting skin and the yowls of the submissive. He exited out of the window so fast, smashing the lid of the laptop close, not sure if he broke it in the process, as he stumbled off the stool, knocking it over. 

He had thought that he knew his daddy. 

He was too shocked for actual words, as he struggled to process this new tidbit of information. Levi didn't like the feeling of helplessness that gnawed at his gut, as his gaze hurried over to the digital clock on the microwave. It would be still approximately another 20 minutes, before Erwin would be back and he was actually scared to see him. Most of all, he felt betrayed, anger bubbling on the surface. He needed a distraction, before he went fleeing right out of the front door.

Cookies, right he was supposed to make cookies. Levi heartlessly mixed all the left out ingredients together and dumped the mixture on the baking tray, shoving it into the oven for 8 minutes, making the metal rattle loudly. In the meantime he hurried over to the safe room, that no longer seemed safe at all, the shadows hunting him. He was sure, there were cameras, he had heard them one night, it wasn’t just his imagination running wild, there must have been and still be cameras. He had just seen proof of it. He dragged Mister Plush out of there, just to throw him on the bed in his own room carelessly, while the kettle came to a boil. He prepared a thermos full of tea, almost dripping scalding hot water on his hand in his haste, before dragging the equally as hot cookies out of the oven, to dumb them on a plate. He ignored the mess of baking ingredients, crumbs and spilled tea, as he carried everything back to his own bedroom, kicking the door shut, engaging the lock, he hadn’t used once before. He left everything next to the bed, without a second thought, fleeing further into the attached bathroom with Mr. Plush in tow and his duvet dragging behind him. He locked that door shut too, for good measure, as he huddled up in the bathtub, squeezing his eyes shut, as his body shuddered.

How could Erwin do something like that? He didn't like the cold persona he had seen on screen even one bit. So cold, so icy and heartless. That was not his body. How could he have been so wrong about his alpha?

When Erwin returned home from his errands, it was dead silent. He had expected that there would be cluttering noises and the faint humming of the oven in the background, indicating that Levi was already in the process of making some mean cookies, since he had been looking forward to baking so much. But maybe he hadn’t wanted to start without his daddy? 

The hopeful thought died, before it could have warmed his heart and could have distracted him from the gnawing bitterness eating away at him. The faint smell of freshly baked cookies seemed to intensify, the closer he got to the kitchen, proving him wrong, allowing worry to overtake him. The picture of Levi hurting himself, or lying on the ground helplessly, flashed in front of his eyes and he hurried to the kitchen, only to find a battle field of spilled baking ingredients and crumbs all over the kitchen counter, as if Levi hadn’t truly cared about anything at all. 

The only thing bothering him more than the dirty display was the fact that Levi was nowhere to be seen, although thankfully he wasn’t passed out on the floor. Erwin took in the scene, looking for clues, for what might have happened, as he absentmindedly tasted some crumbs. They tasted like anger and despair, not good at all, far too salty and unbalanced. These cookies weren’t made with love and the alpha wondered, if Levi had been mad, because he told him to start without him, instead of making it a nice daddy-little boy-activity, like he had promised yesterday. 

“Levi? Sweetheart? I’m home.” he called out, as expected he didn’t receive an answer, so he put down his bags and mail to go looking for Levi. His first try was their safe room. He had once told Levi to go in there, if he felt anxious or close to panicking. It was their save space after all and he had created it with this initial purpose in mind. There was no Levi, but looking around, he spotted Mr. Plush missing, so Levi must have been in there, to drag him out of the room. He obviously hadn’t wanted to be in the room himself, but also hadn’t wanted Mr. Plush to be in there, because… because why?

Erwin tried to make sense of it, as he exited the room again, heading back towards the kitchen. Levi wasn't in the library, or living room, or his office, that only left his own room and he was about to look for him right there and confront him, but whenever he came closer to the door of Lev’s private room, he felt a distant itch of fear on his bonding mark. The connection was weak due to the damage, but Levi’s emotions strong enough to graze his own, when he stepped closer. 

“Levi, darling?” Erwin called out and knocked with moderate strength, to let him know, he was close by, without startling the omega any further. 

The sudden change of demeanor confused the alpha. When he had left, everything had been okay, more than okay actually and he had been looking forward to spending the day by probably baking terrible cookies together and decorating a gingerbread house, in the worst way possible. The prospect of spending some sweet quality time with his mate and to steal a kiss or two from him, as he hugged him close, while Levi was cutting out cookies in various shapes – stars, hearts, moons . That had been the only thing that kept him from succumbing into the black sea of his whirling thoughts, that threatened to drown him into overthinking. 

“What happened, sweetheart?” Erwin inquired, but received no answer to this question either. Instead he heard faint shuffling and steps coming closer from the other side, indicating that Levi must be standing right in front of the other side of the door. The alpha patiently waited for the door to open, but nothing happened and the door remained closed shut. 

“What scared you so much, baby boy?” Erwin tried again, hoping that Levi could hear him better now, that he was closer to the door. Maybe Levi hadn’t been able to hear him before? 

“Don’t ever call me that again!” The cold reply was muffled by the thick wood of the door. 

Erwin couldn’t believe it, he must have misheard, as he kept staring at the door with a shocked expression, reaching out to open it,, to talk to Levi properly, just to find it locked. 

“Levi, sweetheart, tell me what is wrong and I am sure we can find a solution together-“

“FUCK YOU AND YOUR COLD-ASS LIES! GO AWAY!” the shrill voice of his distressed omega interrupted him mid sentence, followed by Levi banging against the door, as hard as he could, making it rattle, to shoo the alpha away.

Erwin indeed stepped a few steps away and turned to leave, figuring it was best to find out what had upset his mate, before approaching him any further and probably scaring him off even further with well meant, but unfitted words. 

This was serious and he had no clue why. Everything had been going so well for them, but now it was like a switch had flipped inside of his mate. It seemed like Levi had suddenly decided that he could no longer trust his alpha.

Levi must truly be afraid of him at this very moment and felt the need to hide away again, just like before. At least he hadn’t run away and was out in the cold all by himself. It was like they were back to the beginning and the alpha had no clue where he fucked up, aside from his sour mood. He had tried his best to overplay it a few hours ago, because he didn’t want Levi to endure his mood swing prior rut. He was aware it was coming in two weeks time, or maybe even just one week, considering Levi already started to smell so sweet and delicious to him. Erwin had noticed that he had already started to feel more clingy and possessive of his omega than usual, as well. Although he had just truly acknowledged this, as Hanji and Mike had given him another grave reminder of how much Nile fucked up his future plans with Levi. 

The threat of Levi never having another true heat again, had spiked a souring anger inside of him, that wouldn’t have risen to this extent, if the alpha inside of him wouldn’t itch to bond Levi again. Thirsty to try to restart the family they had lost, due to Nile. Erwin knew this was mostly his rut talking and he knew, that Levi wasn’t ready for the family part yet, but if Nile had truly fucked Levi up so bad, to the point his omega wouldn't go into heat again, the chance of conceiving another pub again, wasn’t the best in distant future either. Worst of all the alpha would have to live with this, for the rest of his life and Levi would have to live with it, too. What if his omega wanted to have a pub with him, a few years down the lane? 

When he voiced his concerns about it to Hanji, they had said that this sort of despair is usually worse for omega's than for alpha's. The latter would just discard their broken omega like trash. Erwin couldn’t imagine how any alpha could do this to their mate. 

Sure, since he met Levi he wanted pups, at best a whole litter. But this desire only hit him the moment he had met Levi, he could not imagine wanting anyone else than Levi, or having pups with anyone else but Levi. The possibility that Nile might have ruined even the option to discuss this topic of starting a family together with Levi, drove Erwin mad. His thoughts had been in a tailspin. So much time had passed, but he tried to keep it together, not wanting to make Levi feel guilty, or like he wouldn’t be good enough. He would always be enough for Erwin! But it still hurt and he didn’t want to burden his mate with this. 

Erwin forced himself to clear his thoughts and not spiral down into the pits of his own despair. This couldn’t be why Levi was suddenly scared of him again.

The alpha was pacing restlessly through his apartment, not daring to step too close to Levi’s room. Erwin found himself in his own bedroom again, contemplating if he would find another clue inside his old playroom – he found it pointless to refer to it as their safe space for now, since Levi obviously didn’t see it that way anymore . He was staring at the bed sheets covered in crimson red satin, when it hit him. Fuck! 

Turning on his heels, he made his way back to the kitchen, remembering that he had seen the laptop still plugged in and in standby mode, dread felt his stomach, as he approached the device and turned it back on. He suddenly had the bad feeling that Levi had found things, he shouldn’t have seen all alone like this, while he’d possibly been googling recipes and gotten lost. It happened to the best of them, even to the alpha himself.

You search for one thing and after a bit of time, you are somewhere completely different, reading stuff about dark matters, murder or space, even though you were supposed to look for some sort of calculation formula. Or most likely in Levi’s case you look for cookies and suddenly end up on a hardcore BDSM blog, with embedded videos of a certain Commander, living out his freedom, with more than willing participants. 

All of his worst suspicions came true, as Erwin checked the search history and the remaining opened tabs. When he opened the link, Levi had last closed, a video appeared, which he held in rather fond memory, it had been one of his more brutal one’s, starting with a proper punishment and ending with sweet words of praise. 

But Erwin was certain that his mate hadn’t watched it until the very end and only seen the whips and screams of mixed pain and pleasure. Erwin remembered the young man in the video, a sweet compliant beta, with a rather extended masochistic streak, which had been a strict requirement, to film this particular scene on his St. Andrews cross, in his playroom. So Levi possibly had recognized the room in the video, even without seeing the big map, that he didn’t show off on screen, so it wouldn’t be an open invitation to common thieves.

Swallowing down the dry lump in his throat, Erwin made his way back to Levi’s room, he was certain that he'd figured out what must have frightened his omega this much. 

His baby boy was still in a rather unstable condition all things considered, he must have taken what he had seen on screen at face value. Instead of recognizing it as nothing more than a scenario, envisioned and acted out by two individuals, that agreed on terms beforehand and found themselves compatible, to live out their shared fantasies, to forget the stifling routines, of their usual everyday lives. 

Standing in front of the heavy wooden door, guarding the room behind it, Erwin forced his voice to be as steady and clear, as he could manage. 

“Baby, I know that you are in there and I know, why you are upset, but I think we should talk about this misunderstanding in person, instead of through a closed door-“

“I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING GO AWAY, YOU SADISTIC MONSTER!” Levi immediately interrupted him again, screaming with everything he had. 

“I am not going away, Levi, not this time. In fact, I remember saying, I won’t leave you alone, when you need me the most.” 

“I DON’T FUCKING NEED YOU! I’VE NEVER NEEDED YOU!” came the swift reply and Levi’s words stung, although he could reason, that his omega didn’t truly mean it, but was so hurt, that he wanted Erwin to hurt, too. 

“Levi, please, just hear me out. What you saw was nothing but a made up scenario acted out by two consenting adults. There were terms and rules negotiated, before we decided to explore this together. Believe me, that he practically begged to be punished like this and that he wasn’t seriously harmed during this. He wanted this, just as much, as I wanted this and it had been a mutually pleasant experience.” Erwin could hear a faint snort in response, from the other side. The alpha hated the fact that Levi couldn’t see his earnest expression, while he was trying to explain something important, like this to him.

“Yeah, that’s what you alpha's tell to yourselves, when you chain ‘em up real good and then line up to fuck them, until they pass out, if you even stop then, you fucking pigs!” Levi’s voice sounded bitter and Erwin would have loved to envelope him in his arms and show him, just how wrong he was. “Don’t flatter yourself, I know you like it rough and it probably got you really excited, when you made him scream in pain. Did you fuck him after whipping him, too? Speared him open on your monster cock and held his hips, so he could not move, while you fucked him until he bled?”

So this is what Levi still thought of him? Deep down in his heart, even after everything they had gone through together and everything they had worked through, in the meetings with Hanji? 

“No, I didn’t.” Erwin tried to find a response that would not fuel Levi’s provocation. “We didn’t have sex at all. It isn’t necessarily about intercourse, but more about testing own limits and building trust.” 

“This isn’t about trust!” Levi yelled back, voice thick.

“It is. Remember when I spanked you and then tied your wrists together to give you pleasure? You offered up so much trust to me then and you liked it. Being able to trust me so much. You really liked it. And the video you saw was essentially the same, just with a far more violent punishment, that must have looked horrifying to you, since you are unfamiliar with the subject. If you allow me, I would like to show you what happens in the next video with the sub. And if you truly hate it, I will burn every bit of it down, just like I promised you. Just please, Levi, I beg you to trust me one more time.” Erwin couldn’t help himself, but openly beg at the end.

"FUCK YOU!" The omega spat, taking the plate of cookies from the bedside table and throwing it at the door in frustration, the porcelain split into pieces with a loud bang, clattering to the floor. Levi couldn't really take it in. 

Whatever excuses Erwin made up, made him feel even more hollow. While Erwin's voice was steady and calm, his own barely could hide the panic, still cursing through his veins. He shouldn't even listen to any of the alpha's bullshit. He was probably just trying to sweet talk him, then chain him up like that poor bastard in the video, or bend him over any of the other vicious machines, he was probably hiding somewhere and fucking bed him. 

Levi paced back into the bathroom, agitation making him restless. 

How could he have thought, Erwin would truly be this understanding, gentle alpha, he had shown him over the past few weeks? When deep down he was still no better than the other animals, he might enjoy fucking a little harder sometimes, but Erwin had almost killed him in his first heat, fucking him raw and bleeding, relentless in his actions. 

He hadn't listened to him, as he begged him to stop, so why should he stop anything, when Levi told him “No!”?

The feeling of helplessness was digging it's nails into his heart, tearing the beating flesh apart. He felt caged in, he should have gone flying out that door instead, but he had nowhere to go. Kenny's house was no longer an option and other than that, he had nothing to his name. 

Everything felt like a farce, Erwin pretending to be this gentle idiot, luring him in, sweet talking the bonding mark, he had forced on him in the first place. Maybe he would have been better off, if Nile had ended his life. He had nothing left to lose anyway. The tears were freely falling down his face by now, sobs echoing off the tiles, as he huddled into himself. Back in the bathroom he couldn't hear Erwin's lies at least. His voice was nothing more than a murmur in the background, drowned out by the chaos in the omega’s mind and the blood rushing in his ears. He was falling fast and hard from cloud nine and at this point, he didn't even want to brace for impact. It would be better, if there was nothing left but broken pieces in the end. He'd started clawing at the scar on his neck, maybe if he tried harder, he could be free again?

Little did he know that only alpha's could break the bond, Nile had done it so easily, so why shouldn't he finish the job? He couldn't imagine living with Erwin for one more minute, lying piece of shit that he was.

His sobs grew harder, as he rocked back and forth, unable to soothe himself. He was fucking lost like this. A lost case. Fucking useless, just as uncle Kenny had always predicted. Maybe, if he would let go of the last shred of his dignity, instead of holding onto it on autopilot, just as Hanji had taught him to, the disgusting laugh would echo back in his ears and help him finish the job. He should have taken those stupid pills, before Nana had come over back then.

Erwin was a lying bastard.

He was lying to himself, when deep down he knew, he should have never stayed.

Levi was mumbling nonse to himself, Hanji had warned him, he would crash all the harder, if he didn't try to control his emotions any better, but what reason was left to do that? He couldn't find it in himself to give a shit.

No one did.

Kenny was dead, so he could no longer give a shit.

Nile was probably waiting to get out, hunt his sorry ass down and kill him once and for all anyway and Erwin was probably just waiting to get his hands on him again. Oh the irony of it all, if he would end up dying from being fucked to death, like a common whore.

Erwin was aware that Levi had retreated back to his original spot, the moment the shuffling stopped and the omega no longer answered him. The loud bang against the door, followed by a plate breaking had been a shock. Levi had never once gotten violent towards him in all this time.

"Levi!" He dared to raise his voice, surely Levi wouldn't start trashing the place? But he wanted his omega to return to common sense, so they could talk like adults, instead of arguing like kindergarteners. Levi didn't react to his voice, there was no scared shriek, or anything and Erwin kept trying to reason with him, but he wasn't so sure, if the omega was even still listening. Any other alpha would have probably lost it by now, but his Levi was a delicate flower and Hanji had stressed it again and again, that he had to have patience with his little one. Even if the current situation wasn't just his omega throwing a simple temper tantrum, but anything but. 

The alpha sighed heavily and listened for a while, trying to guess what the omega was up to. There was faint sobbing and it broke his heart to know that he made Levi cry unintentionally. 

He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, but the sobs just grew harder and louder.

Erwin wrecked his brain, how to proceed, when a sharp pain spread on his neck, making his eyes almost pop out of their sockets. 

"LEVI! OPEN THE DOOR PLEASE! NOW!" Erwin bellowed in his alpha voice, he usually refrained from using, around his skittish omega, but surely Levi wouldn't do something that reckless? Levi wouldn't… would he? Erwin was way more scared, than he was angry, as he tried to get Levi to open the door.

"DON't DO ANYTHING STUPID!" Erwin commanded, but there still was no movement on the other side of the door and he was growing impatient by the minute, the longer the pain kept stabbing into his neck. He tried to remember all the possible dangerous things in Levi's bathroom, which there shouldn't be any, apart from some cleaning supplies. But who knew, if the omega hadn't snatched something prior to locking himself up? He couldn't be entirely sure, all he knew was, he couldn't walk away now and just wait it out. Whatever Levi was up to, wasn't any good.

"LEVI!" Erwin tried in one last ditch effort to order his omega around, even if he despised the action, but to no such luck. If anything, the stabbing pain was growing stronger, and he finally surrendered. There was a second key to this door, which Mike held onto for safe keeping, but he didn't want to look like a total fuck up in front of his friend, yet again and there possibly wasn't enough time left, to wait for him to bring it by. Erwin used all his strength, as he threw himself against the door, focussing on the locking mechanism itself, rather than the angels to unlatch it. He could buy a new one any day. He might have sworn to never enter Levi's room against his wishes, but this was an emergency, at least in his book. The door finally gave way on the third try, with little obtained damage and swung open. Erwin was prepared for everything horrible.

But the only thing to be seen at first glance was a stripped bed, the bedside lamp being pushed over, spilled tea on the floor from the tipped over thermos and the broken plate with cookie crumbs all over the floor. He stepped over it, trying to not make any more mess, giving another strict warning, that he was coming in, to not startle Levi further.

"I'm coming in now, Levi." But the sobbing, definitely coming from the bathroom, was all the answer he got.

The bang of the door bursting open was lost on Levi already, who had retreated so far up his mind, for once welcoming the dissociation, rather than fighting it. He held Mr. Plush tight with one arm, the other still clawing at his bloody neck, trying to dig deeper. In his haste, he had dragged over one of the cleaning supply bottles, blind to his own actions, he went as far as biting off the cap with his teeth, when he couldn't open it in his frency. He wasn't really aware of what he was doing, had probably tried to douche his neck with it, so the acid would burn away his skin, but he couldn't lift the 5 liter container with just one hand and ended up spilling it over, so he had to settle for slapping and digging the remains into the open wound. He felt no pain at all.

He should have probably drank it instead. His mind supplied that idea at last, so he was blindly grabbing for the bottle again, to do just that, when Erwin entered the bathroom.

It was a mess.

He was a mess.

He was a mess, that was still alive and not a single command from a petrified Erwin reached his useless ears.

"Stop! Fucking stop it!" Erwin hissed at him fruitlessly, wrestling the chemical container out of his omega's hand, not even wanting to envision what Levi had been about to do.

Levi did fight him, with all he had left in his shaken body, but not very hard. The omega’s pupils were blown wide, letting Erwin know that he wasn't master of his own mind right this second. He took a hold of one of Levi's hands tightly, to keep him from reaching for anything else destructive, the other was still clawing at his neck and it pained Erwin, but the quickest option he could come up with, was to smack the omega in the face really hard, to bring him back to his senses. The slap echoed around the room sharply and it left an ugly red print in its wake. Levi had stopped trying to push him away, he just sat there, tears still rolling, looking at Erwin dumbly.

"Levi, listen! Are you listening?" Erwin demanded steel in his alpha voice to bring Levi back. The omega made a strangled sound, something between a shriek and a hiccup in response. Erwin almost cried himself, as he slapped Levi again, shaking his shoulders for emphasis, as he repeated his question. He hated being that rough with his mate, but he had to snap Levi out of it, before he would cause more harm to either of them.

"Yes." It sounded so broken and small, that Erwin couldn’t help himself, but let a few of his own tears fall.

"Give me your hand. Let me look at the damage." Erwin concentrated on the more important matters at hand, discarding their discussion for now.

Levi was still confused, but did as he was told. There was some of his memory missing and nothing made sense. He could faintly recall arguing with the alpha, but was drawing a blank, as to why he was in the bathroom, with Erwin looking so concerned and sad, as well as both his cheeks smarting like crazy, the rest of his body thankfully still numb to the pain.

He had the need to apologize, to say I'm sorry over and over again, but he didn't even know why. As he tried to look down, Erwin kept his chin in a firm grip. 

"No looking away!" He ordered, in hopes it would keep Levi focused, as he grabbed the first aid kit stashed under the sink. Erwin was thankful that he kept first aid kits mandatory stacked in every bathroom.

The alpha knew that actions spoke louder than words, as he started to gently clean the wounds first, tending to his omega’s hands, but especially focused on the raw scratched neck, tainted with chemicals, not wanting to just lap all over it immediately to heal them. In case it would startle Levi further or etch his own tongue. His face coming so close all of a sudden could trigger him again and he needed to ease Levi’s fear and pain first, before he could get near his mate's neck with his mouth. With panic still overriding Levi’s rationality, the omega might think he was about to bite down and would keep biting down all over again, to stake his claim, when all Erwin wanted to do was heal him. Although he proceeded with great care, the traditional process appeared to be futile. The moment he pulled away the cloth, the wound started bleeding anew immediately, not strongly, but little drops of red surfaced all over again and again. 

“I’m sorry, alpha, sorry, sorry, sorry.” Levi mumbled quietly, repeating himself while he returned Erwin’s gaze with blank eyes, as if he had no true recollection of what had actually happened to him. 

“Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong, everything will be okay, baby.” Erwin crooned as he proceeded dipping the wet cloth over the wounds, cradling Levi a bit closer, so he could get more leverage, as he pressed down on the neck with faint pressure to stop the bleeding. Levi didn’t panic at that, but instead gripped his alpha’s shirt and held onto it with numb fingers. It worked for a while, the flesh around the faint bonding mark glaring back at him angrily red and Erwin used the time he gained, by checking up on Levi’s hand again, which he had to unwind from the material of his shirt.

This earned the alpha a pitiful whine, as Levi tried to look away, but Erwin took hold of his chin again, so his omega was forced to watch him taking care of his wounds. He needed Levi to see that he meant no harm, but actually the contrary. Levi still hadn’t stopped apologizing over and over again, voice barely audible, as if he hadn’t heard Erwin at all. 

Erwin hushed him and made sure that Levi returned his gaze, before he leant forward in a slow motion to give Levi the opportunity to shove him away in time. Almost hesitantly he started licking over the especially red parts on Levi’s fingers, all the while looking him into the eye, watching his omega’s reaction, at the treatment he was given. After he finished easing the pain on his mate's delicate fingers, he reached out for the first aid kit to bandage them for good measure, mostly to make sure Levi would not scratch at the still tender skin. As he broke the eye contact with Levi for a second to check on his neck, Erwin saw, that there were already little red drops piling up, ready to drip down the tendons and mark the pale flesh anew, indicating that the bleeding wasn’t about to come to a stop anytime soon, if he wouldn’t do something about it. 

“Please turn around for a second.” He ordered with a calm voice and Levi complied with no further fight, shuffling his body slightly and baring his neck for the alpha.

It looked so submissive and broke the way he offered up his neck, reminding him almost of how he did it the first time, when he was going in heat. Showing off his neck without noticing and enticing him completely. But now, despite being close to rut again, it only filled him with sadness, instead of primal arousal. Levi didn’t understand what had just happened, probably couldn’t remember everything and was now acting like a numb doll, that he could manhandle to his liking. To any alpha it would have been so easy to just push him over and mount the injured omega, maybe Levi expected him to do just this? But instead Erwin leaned forward again to lick over the injured bonding mark, until it finally stopped bleeding, so he could finally bandage his neck properly, without blood seeping through right away. 

As Erwin just wanted to tell Levi to turn back around to face him, he noticed that the omega’s body had slumped forward slightly, he had passed out cold, probably out of exhaustion from all the emotions that had crushed his body, during the last hours. 

Carefully the alpha scooped Levi up in his arms and carried him back to his bed to gently tuck him in. As he watched his pale features, Erwin couldn’t make himself leave. 

He just wanted to lay down beside him, hold him close and tell him in a whisper, how much he loved him, hoping that it would reach him in his dreams and make him understand how genuine his alpha’s feelings were for him. But he knew that he couldn’t do this. Levi might wake up, enveloped in his alpha’s strong arms, feeling caged and trapped in the room, that used to be his salvation. 

Under no circumstances he wanted Levi to think he meant harm, on the other hand he couldn’t leave him alone in the room like this, afraid what Levi might do, if he was left alone again. Erwin was scared that in his absence Levi might feel abandoned and betrayed just the same. So Erwin pressed a soft kiss good night on his mate’s forehead, before lying down on the ground directly next to Levi’s bed.

This would be the start of building a new base for their relationship of little lies and secrets all over again and the more he thought about it, he came to understand why Levi had flipped. He had presented himself, as the perfect mate for him, catering to his omega’s needs, being patient and understanding, even being his daddy when he needed him to and lulling him in with wondrous fairytales and sweet promises. Nothing of it was a lie, this was also him, being with Levi made him this way, made him want to be this way. But for the omega a world must have shattered to pieces, seeing his caring daddy, suddenly be so cold and violent, similar to how they started off, making all his kindness look like calculated manipulation to make the omega his compliant and obedient little breeding bitch. 

That night Erwin found no sleep, turning on the hardwood floor from time to time, to find a more comfortable position and he tried fruitlessly to calm the thoughts running wild in his mind. Levi’s faint snores in the bed above him, were the only thing that kept him sane.

At some point Erwin got up restlessly and cleaned up the mess Levi had left behind, as silently as possible, always keeping the door open and checking up on his omega, every once in a while. At 1 a.m. he texted back and forth with Hanji, the lunatic never slept at all it seemed, to find some closure, or get some tips on how to deal with the situation the best. But the only suggestion they offered had been to eventually show Levi the follow up video, any paperwork he had left from the shot, preferably with their signed negotiation contracts, and to just wait it out, how much Levi would recall after waking up. They also tried to talk him into going back onto Levi's old medication, just to be safe, but he nipped that in the butt right away. Drugging his mate was something he tried to avoid, because if anything he needed Levi to be as clear as possible and not wooed by whatever drug mixed with his brain and feelings.

Around 3 in the morning, the alpha's eyes became heavy, but sleep was still evading him, while Levi started to toss in the bed above, suddenly hitting the alpha square in the face with a pillow, as he trashed around. He was most likely having another nightmare and while Hanji had told him to not wake Levi in the middle of his nightly terrors, he couldn't just stand by and watch on, it tore horribly at his heartstrings.

He made a fresh cup of chamomile tea, turning on the bedside lamp, before kneeling next to Levi's head and trying to coax him into wakefulness, by calling his name softly. He didn't dare to shake or jostle him. Levi was trying to scratch himself in his sleep, when Erwin carefully took hold of the omega's hand, entwining their hands. The gentle restriction startled him awake, as he sat up abruptly, sweat beading down his face, eyes wildly looking around, before settling on Erwin's hunched figure.

Levi squinted a few times, adjusting to the dim light of his bedside lamp, scanning over Erwin's face repeatedly, to make sure he wasn't morphing into someone else, like it happened so frequently in his dreams, it being a clear indication, that he was still locked in his night terror. The omega didn't know why, his brain was trying to convince him each night that Erwin would turn out to be just as horrible and disgusting, as Nile and Kenny and all the others. What little trust he had tried to invest in his mate, was shaken up on its foundation anew, rattled by doubts and irrational thoughts, which were trying to tip it over.

"Erwin?" His voice was feeble, even to his own ears, laced with uncertainty and doubt, as he reached out to trace the prominent features of his mates face, to reassure himself. 

"Yes, I'm still here. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise you that." Erwin never got tired of saying the same things over and over again, to reassure Levi.

He held out Mr. Plush, the rainbow lama, that had been abandoned on the pillow, for Levi to seek comfort in. Levi instantly reached for it, rolling back up in a fetal position, looking at Erwin with wide eyes.

"There is some tea to help ease your nerves." Erwin gestured over to the bedside table, while leaning back on his hunches to give the omega some room. Levi eyed the steaming cup, but didn't reach out, it would possibly burn his deserted mouth to shreeds.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that." Levi mumbled, from having his face buried into the plush lama's fur.

"Nevermind, I wanted to." Now wouldn't be a good time anyway to discuss anything, it was in the middle of the bloody night. Erwin was a sleep deprived mess, Levi shaken up from a nightmare, this would only lead to another fight, the alpha was sure of it.

Levi gave a tantive nod, exhaustion already settling back into his bones. His neck was itchy and his hand hurt a little, it was enough for him to figure out, he had probably been having another one of his episodes earlier, considering how knackered and worn out Erwin looked. Erwin pulled up his duvet carefully to tug him back in, ready to settle back on the floor.

"Erwin?" Levi didn't want to stress him further, but the itching was really annoying.

"Yes, Levi."

"My… my neck itches, could you, could you make it better?" He was back to stuttering again, but was way too tired, to feel embarrassed about it. Erwin's eyes were so sad, when he softly replied _ .  _ "Of course, darling." Erwin, took another look at the irritated skin that had started to close under the bandage, giving it a few more tentative licks to speed up the process, before applying some cooling ointment and fastening the bandage back into place. He gently rinsed Levi's hand again with a wet washcloth, before slathering it up in more ointment and also refastened that bandage. Levi allowed his alpha to put him into one of his pull up nappies, just in case, his mind should wander places, while he slept. If Levi kept the bandage neat, the surface wounds should have vanished by tomorrow. While he had made his neck bleed a lot, he hadn't really dug deep, he had probably just nicked a vein close to the surface, with his pointy fingernails. For the first time Erwin was glad that Levi wasn't one of the old omega's with fangs and claws, otherwise the damage might have been fatal. There were tales, as old as time, from omega's slitting their own throats with their claws, to escape a pack or bonding mark. Each one more gruesome, than the last.

Levi eventually sipped at the tea with drooping eyes, before falling back asleep with Mr. Plush in his arms. Only then, close to the morning hours, did Erwin allow himself to rest his eyes for a moment. 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't wanna post at first, because today is my birthday, but I decided to just drop the update and make a run for it.. Thank you- Satu.

When Levi woke next, he was confused, as to why Erwin was lying on the hardwood floor. Despite feeling lethargic and wanting to stay in bed, the omega got up, to spread his still warm blanket over the snoring alpha and gently put his head on the pillow, before taking a shower, ditching his nappy and getting ready for the day, with a pair of fuzzy socks, one of Erwin’s deep blue oversized T-shirts and a cartoon themed boxershort. Most of yesterday was a blurry mess and he wasn't so sure, if he wished to remember all of it. His neck and hand were feeling better, but the skin was still unhealthily red under the warm spray of the shower, forcing him to look away from the damage. Shame gnawed at his consciousness, there was no question, that he most likely acquired those injuries by himself, while losing his marbles yet another time and he sighed deeply. 

How did Erwin even manage to still love him, with all his jacked edges and broken pieces? 

Levi washed up quickly and went to make tea, instead of dwelling on it. He wouldn't know the answer, unless he asked and whatever transpired yesterday, didn't let him falter. 

There was a deep need for his alpha, burning in the pit of his stomach, a small kindling flame, that refused to be snuffed out, but was seeking the cradle of Erwin's arms. 

It seemed light years away, when Hanji had lectured him, that his next heat would be presenting differently, so he didn't even think that this was his impending heat talking. 

His eyes lingered on the laptop, still set on the breakfast nook and little bits and pieces kept coming back to him, including scraps of what Erwin had told him, while reasoning with him.

It didn't freak him out this time around, if anything he felt ashamed of himself. He dared to listen to his own heart, rather than his brain on the matter. The omega realized that seeing Erwin with someone else, that wasn't him, had triggered jealousy so strong, he had never known. He wasn't an overly jealous person to begin with, but with Erwin in his life, things had changed. 

"How stupid is that, that I felt threatened by a some guy in a video." Levi murmured to himself aloud, clutching his cup closer, oblivious to Erwin watching him from the doorway. 

A smile softened the alpha’s features, as he regarded his mate, who was so lost in his own thoughts, that he didn’t notice him, standing there at all. At first Erwin thought that Levi was referring to him, but the unfamiliar undertone betrayed the omega. 

Could it indeed be that Levi, his Levi, was feeling jealous, because he had stumbled on a very graphic reminder, that his alpha had been with other people in the past? 

Of course this wasn’t a secret and he was sure that Levi wasn’t that naive, but probably seeing it paraded on a video, for a lot of other people to see, was too much. Erwin almost felt smug about the pouty face Levi made unconsciously, while his eyes wandered to the laptop from time to time. It didn’t take long, until he finally noticed Erwin standing in the doorway and Erwin could barely suppress a flinch, hoping that his omega wouldn’t think of him, as a creep, staring at him like he was his favorite meal. 

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Erwin greeted Levi, as he walked into the room casually to save his own dignity. “Thank you for the blanket. That was very kind of you, baby.” 

“You’re welcome.” Levi mumbled, followed by a barely audible “Wouldn’t want you to freeze your ass off.” 

Erwin made himself a cup of coffee, before he sat down close to his omega, not sure if he should give him a kiss good morning or hug him. So he decided to do neither, instead sipping his coffee slowly, to avoid the awkwardness between them. Whenever Erwin looked over to Levi, he noticed him still glancing over to the laptop, more frequently than before.

Something seemed to be on his mind and Erwin figured that he was gathering his courage or thought of the right words, as he gnawed his lips and inhaled deeply from time to time. As if he wanted to start a sentence, but aborted the thought, before it came to fruition. Although Erwin suspected what Levi tried to voice, he gave the omega all the time he needed, to put it into words. After all, they had agreed to go at Levi’s pace and he didn’t want to push him harshly, in the direction he thought was best. 

“I kind of want to watch the video, so I can get the whole picture.” Levi finally started, as composed as he could, his eyes resting firmly on his cup of tea, as he spit out the words. “But I am unsure, how it will make me feel to see you doing these things to him.” 

“There will be no further punishment in the video. Only after care. Don’t worry about that, baby.” Erwin crooned and grazed Levi’s underarm with his hand, as if to reassure him. Levi shrugged and grinded his jaw, as he finally breathed out: “Yeah, exactly.”

Only then did Erwin notice just how snappy his words sounded, indicating that Levi wasn’t truly afraid about the ‘things’ Erwin did to the boy, but hated to see the affection the alpha had shared with another man. 

So his baby boy didn’t want to share daddy, Erwin would have almost laughed at the thought, if it wasn’t so damn troublesome, that his omega had difficulties separating his daddy, from the other facets that were all Erwin.

“If you cared about him in the aftermath, were you his daddy, too?” Levi added with a small voice, shuffling closer to Erwin, to feel his warmth, as they sat beside each other at the kitchen table. 

“No, baby.” Erwin answered truthfully. “You are my first and one and only baby boy, forever. I wouldn’t want to be anyone else’s daddy.” His mind added ‘aside from our pub’s’, but he swallowed this afterthought, like the dry lump in his throat. This was truly not the right time to discuss children. 

“Why do you ask such a thing, sweets?” Erwin wanted to know, after a while of Levi not having said anything and being too focused on stirring his tea in slow circles. 

“Makes me feel like you could just replace me, with him… or someone else. Doesn’t matter.” Levi admitted, finally looking up at Erwin, the gray eyes meeting blue, before dropping down again to the table top, barely registering the alpha’s leisurely attire of a dark Henley and some soft black cotton pants, that looked a little more stylish than usual sweatpants. “I mean, it makes no sense, that you stay with me, if you could have him. He would do what you want him to do without a temper tantrum. He could give you what you need and I… I’m just-“ 

“Levi, stop!” Erwin interrupted Levi immediately, as he noticed him spiraling down into the pit of self doubt yet again. “I have chosen you, I will always choose you. And it does matter to me, because you don’t have to worry about him, or about any one else for that matter. You are my mate and I love you. I am your daddy, your alpha and your Erwin, with heart, body and soul. And every hardship with you is worth it, if I can just have you around me, so never ever worry about not being good enough. You are more than enough and more than I deserve.” With that said, Erwin pulled Levi from his chair into his lap, to envelope him in his arms, not bearing to be apart anymore. He needed to feel Levi’s warmth and his heartbeat, all pressed close and it wasn’t his rut talking, just him wanting to show Levi, how much he meant to him. “If it makes you feel better, I have no clue where the beta from the video is now, or what he is doing and neither do I care, aside from hoping that he is okay and happy somewhere, out of plain human decency.” 

Levi just hummed as a response, as he enjoyed his alpha peppering him with small kisses and fucking finally agreeing, on watching the video. Erwin decided to take this to the couch, so he could cuddle up better with Levi, while sitting in front of the laptop, not wanting to do that, crammed up on the kitchen chair. So Erwin set up the laptop on the living room table and enveloped Levi tightly in his arms, before he pressed play.

The video on Erwin's hard drive was different from the edited version online, Levi noticed straight away. The start was shaky from the tripod being put up, before he could hear Mike's voice rumble in the background, going through different camera options, rambling to himself, since he obviously had been the one recording. It felt reassuring to know, there were no installed cameras in the safe room, as he had initially feared there would be.

The realization made Levi shiver in Erwin's arms, since he had no idea Mike was part of this lifestyle too. The giant seemed so completely different from his alpha. His presence was rather comforting than dominating, from the few times the omega had encountered Nanaba’s mate.

Erwin was all dressed up to the side, with the beta in deep conversation. They were exchanging paperwork, which in turn made Levi look at Erwin, with an eyebrow raised in question. His mate paused the recording momentarily to explain.

"We had set up a contract, before shooting. It included all the soft and hard limits, so all the yes let's do this or that and all the No No's. It also included a summary of the scene we were shooting." Levi nodded once, but he was still frowning, wondering if he would need something like that too. Erwin seemed to read him like a book, finger hovering over the pause button, to continue the video.

"You can have something like this too, if it helps you feel more safe, but it's not required. You are my mate and we can talk about all these things and we will talk about all these things, shall we decide to take that route. Communication is key and you will have to talk to me, about what you want or don't want. Remember Levi, you are in control during those scenes." Erwin gently rubbed his thumb over the furrow in between Levi's eyebrows, in an attempt to try to ease his tension. The omega nodded briefly, before tucking his head back onto his alpha's chest. 

The video continued, with some statements floating to the microphone, so Levi could actually hear the beta explicitly asking for certain things, like the use of a cane and the riding crop, as well as the force he expected Erwin to use for his hits. Having it laid out so planely, seemed almost like they were discussing dinner reservations. They went through save words and Levi almost giggled, when the guy said Costco without the blink of an eye.

"That's odd. How is that safe?"

"It is supposed to be out of context, so I will immediately recognize that something is wrong and not mistake it for a plea, or random sound of pleasure." Erwin elaborated, as the scene cut to the actual video he had seen online. The uncut version was even harder to watch and Levi couldn't help himself, but occasionally hide his face into Erwin's chest. It still made him feel jealous and Erwin's cold voice was still foreign to him, making him shiver more violently, as he peeked at the screen from in between his fingers.

"We can skip forward or stop watching, if it gets to be too much." Erwin offered softly, holding Levi firmly, petting his hair.

"No." Levi rejected, forcing himself to watch all 25 hits of the switching instruments. Erwin was fully clothed and remained fully clothed for all of it, never once was the camera showing the alpha palming his crotch or any indication that Erwin was getting hard on this scenario. His commands were icy cold for all of it. Thankfully Erwin had turned down the volume some, so the subs' screams weren't bouncing off the walls, as he wailed and even straight out begged Erwin for more and even harder hits. 

The last close up, ending with the sub screeching "25, Sir! Thank you, Sir!" made Levi's eyes almost roll back. The guy was actually thanking Erwin, with a big smile through snot and tears on his red face, as Erwin praised him for his endurance. 

Levi burrowed back into Erwin's chest hastily, while Mike was rambling again in the background, as Erwin unfastened the metal clasps around the beta's limbs. He was all marked up, spent and covered in jizz and sweat, but there was not a single trail of blood to be seen anywhere, as he limply leaned on Erwin for support.

Levi hadn't even realized, the dude had cum from the punishment alone, despite Erwin telling him over and over again to hold it and not cum, until he had said so.

Erwin paused the video, comforting Levi gently, while he waited for his omega to relax some, before they would continue watching the part that wasn't uploaded on the website Levi had visited and to answer any additional question, the omega might have for him.

"Did you punish him for cumming?" Levi eventually whispered hesitantly. 

"No. I allowed him to." Erwin responded right away, skipping back a minute or 2, to replay the moment for Levi, who had obviously missed that important part. He wasn't mad about it however, since the video was a lot to take in, for a novice like Levi.

"Oh." The omega mumbled, blushing deeply in embarrassment.

Erwin gave Levi another minute, to mentally prepare for the next part of the video and left briefly, to fetch something for them to drink. It seemed towards the end of the punishment, Levi had a hard time to focus on what he was being shown. The visuals and commanding voice were too much for him to notice everything, especially the small details, from the faint twitches and shudders of pleasure of the beta, to the moment he came undone. As for the first part of the video, it didn’t matter that much to Erwin.

He had shown it to Levi again, to lessen the fear about the things he had seen, as it was common that your brain would shapeshift it, into something far more horrifying, as it actually had been to begin with. But for the aftercare part, Erwin needed Levi to be able to take in every detail that was happening. When Erwin returned with two steaming mugs of warm tea, Levi already seemed a bit more present in reality. 

“Before we continue, do you have any questions about what you just saw?” Erwin asked, as he sat down and gave one of the cups to Levi, who blew over it softly, the cinnamon smell of Chai tea faint in the air, before he took a tentative sip. 

Erwin enjoyed the silence, taking a sip from his own cup, while Levi sorted his thoughts, figuring that he would have rather had a Chai latte than plain tea, considering his never ending sweet tooth and craving for unhealthy food, although this had improved, since Levi had moved in. The omega would have cried out at the amount of honey the blond had drowned in his own tea, but the alpha had been mindful to give Levi less and judging the content hum next to him, his measurement had been just right and not off the mark.

“So Mike is also part of this… thing?” Levi muttered and Erwin suppressed an eye roll at the question about the other alpha. Didn’t the omega have any other questions? More important ones? Instead about another alpha? For example about his own alpha? But Erwin didn’t let the bout of jealousy surface, as he answered calmly: “Yes. In fact, he introduced me to the whole scene.” 

It was obvious that Levi was wondering what exactly introducing meant in the whole context and Erwin prayed to all that was holy, that the omega would leave it at that, it seemed that luck was with him. He cuddled Levi closer to him, pressed snugly against each other, Levi’s small body draped half wax across his lap, in a comfortable position. 

“So should we continue?” he inquired, after making sure that Levi not only looked, but indeed was relaxed. Levi nodded his approval and Erwin pressed play. 

The video continued, Erwin was checking the beta over for bruises and wounds, which seemed closer to a medical check up than anything else. The beta was shivering slightly, as Erwin lifted the limps one by one, to examine every inch of his body, before cradling the back of his neck and looking him deep in the eyes. 

“You did so good, pet. I am proud of you. How do you feel?”

The deep baritone of the alpha’s voice airing from the screen no longer ice cold, but now warmer, sounding more like himself and Erwin knew how much the impression he gave away shifted, the moment he changed the tone of his voice. He used it to enhance the effect of his speeches at work, but he also used it to make the most out of his playtime and what followed afterwards. He had learned quickly, that pitching his voice differently, helped his subs handle their sub drops, especially after a punishment. 

The beta answered the question, but the words he spoke were barely understandable through the camera. The Erwin on screen looked relieved and gave the beta a reassuring squeeze, still keeping his body close to his. They weren’t touching, Erwin had always been mindful to establish a certain distance after the play act, to avoid his subs growing too enamoured with the strong Sir. The sub drop made them vulnerable and he wouldn’t want to abuse their emotionally fragile state, to let them grow dependent on him even outside of play. Levi seemed to notice this in Erwins posture, as he focused on every little detail with curious eyes. He watched intently, how Erwin avoided further body contact with the beta and pressed up closer against actual-Erwin, as if to make a point, his lips almost twitching into a smile, that quickly fell, when screen-Erwin announced that he would draw the beta a bubble bath. Levi looked up at Erwin with a slight pout on his face, but said nothing, as the screen faded to black. 

“We have drawn him a bath to clean up, so I could examine his physical condition better. He has been very sensitive directly after the punishment, so we refrained from filming that, to respect his emotional wellbeing. You have to be very considerate of your partner.” The alpha explained to Levi, who was still looking like a jealous anger bean from the alpha’s perspective. 

Obviously he didn’t like the thought of his alpha sharing bubble baths, with anybody else but him, since it had been their thing in the little omega’s mind. Less did he know that this was true and Erwin didn’t actually get into the bubble bath with the beta, he only had been preparing the towels for the other man and picked up his comfy clothes, before giving the beta the privacy he had asked for. Erwin was about to explain that to Levi, as suddenly his own voice resounded in the dark. 

“He wanted to be left alone, but he will come back, when he’s finished.” The faint rustling of cables and chains and other used equipment was prominent in the background, as the bigger alpha inquired about Erwin’s own wellbeing and talked to him about nothing in particular, in order to lead the dom down from his power induced high. 

“He was good.” Erwin praised. “Haven’t felt that much excitement in a while.” Mike was humming in agreement, before he let out a small chuckle after a while, as if something just came to his mind. There was further rustling and cracking, as Erwin made a snorting sound at something Mike had muttered under his breath. 

“He was better than you.” Mike stated out of thin air. “Remember when I tied you up on my St. Andrews cross? You cried like a bitch as I-“ Levi almost choked on his drink, as he spat out the mouthful, he had just been about to swallow down. His brain tried to comprehend what he just heard. What Mike’s words had not only insinuated, but thrown directly into his face, with no room for imagination. 

Erwin’s hand shot towards the mouse, to skip one or two minutes, but Levi swatted it away and stopped the video himself, looking up at Erwin with a scandalized expression. Erwin went pale as a ghost, he had totally forgotten about that part of the video. He knew that they had been talking between the punishment and the aftercare, but he could have sworn that he had had this talk with Mike, at a different time. Apparently he was getting old, but not senile enough, to actually be relieved that Levi stopped mid sentence.

‘You cried like a bitch as I fucked you so hard, that you couldn’t walk for days.’ Mike had growled then with his deep rough voice. Erwin remembers vividly the dominance, the other alpha had established over him years ago, as he had introduced him to BDSM. 

It wasn’t that uncommon. Most doms had been subs at some point in their lives, even if only to know the impact of their own strength and actions. The true scandal about it, would have been two alpha’s getting it on and one of them submitting to the other. If this would have come out, it might have ruined their careers, destroyed everything that they had built upon, so they had kept their little secret very discrete. Their sexual agreement ended the moment Mike had found Nana and had fallen head over heels for his mate, killing any sprout of a relationship with the other alpha, before it truly could have begun. 

Despite the fact that both alpha’s found each other very attractive, Mike had stopped their special agreement, the moment he started dating Nana, responsible and caring as he was. Erwin had been proud to have such a good friend. It might have been coincidence, that he had never had the urge to sub for anyone else, after Mike. He had found out before Nanaba’s involvement, that he was craving to be the dominating part and he had been especially proud about being so considerate, of how attached a sub could become, during sub drop, unlike other alpha’s. 

Time stood still for a moment, as the couple sat on the couch in the living room. It was dead silent. Erwin expected Levi to yell at him, even waited for him to slap him in the face with his hands, or at least a pillow. But there was nothing, but widened gray eyes, staring at him for a moment, as another faint “Oh!” left his omega’s mouth, followed by a simple “This explains so much.”.

Erwin opened his mouth to say something and just closed it again, not knowing what he could say about this. His feelings for Mike were in the past, this is why he ignored the other alpha’s playful advances, that Levi had been witness to. He wanted to tell Levi that it was over, that there was no one else beside him now. But he couldn’t undo his past and truly didn’t want to, because without Mike he wouldn’t have grown to be who he was now. The emotions twirled inside his head, making it especially difficult for him to voice them, not knowing how he felt about this. 

“You don’t have to justify your past relationship. I knew you were close and somehow it doesn’t really come as a surprise to me.” Levi interrupted the chaos inside Erwins head. “And there is no way, he is getting back to your old ass now, that he found a nice young omega like Nana, with a good sense for home design.” Years ago, this comment would have stung, but now it made Erwin’s chest rumble with laughter and relief was spreading through him, at how well Levi was taking this. 

Levi couldn’t really explain why he felt less jealous of Mike than of the young beta, despite the unique emotional connection between the two alpha’s. Maybe, because of the different dynamic of their relationship. There was no need to fear that Mike would suddenly knock on their door and demand his daddy back. With the beta, Levi hadn’t been so sure. Who wouldn’t want such a magnificent alpha like Erwin for himself? The guy had been a total idiot, to not drag the dom into the bubble bath with him, instead of demanding his own privacy. Although it relieved him that his Erwin was not sharing bubble baths with just everyone he conquered, but only with his baby boy.

The prospect of the two alpha’s in a tub together, was something entirely else for Levi and he was glad that Nana, despite her high emotional intelligence, actually couldn’t read minds. The omega cleared his throat and took another sip of tea, before he motioned for Erwin to continue the video, pretending not to notice that the alpha skipped a minute. After all, this was all in the past and he would rather leave it to his own imagination. 

When the dark faded away, the screen showed the cleaned up beta standing up. He was being examined by Erwin, who was crouching at his feet and checked him for even the smallest bruise, tending each red mark with ointment, while making soothing noises. The young man shuddered slightly at the treatment, sometimes hissing a bit in pain, as the alpha in front of him treated an especially dark bruise on one hip. 

Levi noticed that Erwin didn’t pepper the soft skin of the beta with butterfly kisses, like his alpha used to do with him, all the time. The dom was careful and gentle, but not treating him, like he was in love with the sub. With every touch of skin it became obvious that this was founded on a bond of trust and mutual attraction, but bare of any romantic involvement, the omega might feel jealous about. Compared to the way his Erwin touched him, this seemed more like a carefully executed routine and somewhat hollow, like something was missing. Levi couldn’t help but wonder, how this would feel, if performed together with your mate, whom you love.

Erwin’s gaze soon left the screen and focused on Levi’s reaction to the video instead. It had felt nice to take care of his sub afterwards, he loved the punishment, but he would never skip the aftercare. The alpha pondered, how it would feel, to do this to Levi after a good whipping. To see and feel the marks he left on the soft skin. To hear his gasps, when he put ointment on them and crooned at him, as he kissed down his neck, lips sucking gently on their bonding mark. He wondered if Levi might want this, too. 

When screen-Erwin had treated every inch of the beta’s body with ointment, he handed the young man a bottle of some fizzy drink, along with his bathing robe. The beta took it and slurped it down with a content sigh. Again Mike’s voice could be heard in the background, muttering something about how unhealthy this was, that the beta would die young, if he kept drinking poison like that. Erwin only chuckled at the other alpha’s antics and the beta defended himself, saying that this was his special drink after sessions, which he used to pamper himself with. 

“Sir would only allow it, after I have been a good pet.” The surprisingly deep voice of the beta laughed carelessly, as he sipped content on his drink.

“What you see now, might appear familiar to you, Levi. Aftercare is about making your sub feel good about himself. Not only treating his wounds carefully, like I already did, but also caring for him on an emotional level. A punishment is a very emotionally intense experience and it might drain your energy up, to a so-called sub drop, where you somewhat ‘drop’ into a black pit, where suddenly feelings of helplessness, anxiety or other negative feelings overwhelm you. Some people experience feelings of worthlessness and guilt, this is different for every individual. To avoid that drop, I have to make sure that the sub is alright in every aspect. This is part of why aftercare is so important. Also it gives the dom a chance to calm down again and bond emotionally with the sub further, if you are in a loving relationship, that is.” his alpha explained to Levi, as they watched the beta on screen walk over to the comfortable looking bed in the other corner of the room. 

Levi immediately realized that this was a different bed than the one that was now situated in the former playroom. The bed on screen was made of black metal, the bedding all black satin, and it looked comfortable and inviting, despite being obviously and painfully perfect to tie another person firmly onto it, in every way imaginable. 

The beta splayed himself on the bed, only wearing fresh underwear, not curling up like Levi would instinctively do, and waited for Erwin to follow him. The alpha was still fully dressed, as he joined the men on the bed, with a big bottle of lotion in his hands. Erwin was kneeling at the head of the bed, in front of the beta, as he squirted some lotion onto his hand and warmed it between his fingers, before applying it to the beta’s back. A content sigh left the other man, as he allowed the alpha to pamper him. Erwin motioned the other to turn around, so he could also put some lotion on his front, his hands massaging slightly, to relax him without hurting his bruises. From time to time the beta made a soft whimper, not able to purr like an omega could have, but his blissful expression was enough to show that he felt at ease and cared for. After Erwin had finished, he squeezed the other man’s shoulder, as a gesture to turn back around again and the beta somewhat pouted, that his massage wouldn’t last forever. He took the bathing robe Erwin handed over to him and snuggled up in it leaning up against the alpha, who allowed it for the moment, his hand stroking the back of the fluffy material. 

“After that we listened to some music and watched a movie together. We had a nice time, but never saw each other again, just like we had agreed to, previously.” Erwin elaborated, after the screen had turned black again, this time ending the video.

Erwin's thorough explanation was so helpful, that Levi dared to look at the small kindle of hope inside himself. Maybe, just maybe, he could have something like this with his mate?

It flickered in his eyes, making a content gentle smile, spread across Erwin's lips in return.

"Did you do any more videos?" Levi dared to ask, afraid that the public display would be a requirement.

"I did only a handful of videos for Mike's website and because they paid well. It's not something I'm particularly into. The last has been a few years ago already. Do you want to see another one?" Erwin asked, surprised, as Levi shook his head in denial.

"No I was just wondering…" the omega trailed of mid sentence, not sure how to say, what was on his mind, hiding his face back in Erwin's chest, holding on a little tighter.

"Were you wondering, if daddy would show you off to everybody?" Erwin suggested, barely suppressing a chuckle, that threatened to break free. Levi gave a short nod, his chin digging into Erwins sternum sharply.

"I prefer to keep things inside the bedroom. I don't like to share and I don't like people sticking their noses into my business." He said earnestly, his chest still vibrating a little with hold back laughter. "Could you imagine, how awkward meetings at work would be, if all the big alpha's would know, what I do behind closed doors? I rather not want this to happen. Thank you very much." Erwin ended up laughing, despite his best efforts, but Levi chuckled softly into his Henley. The sound was so soft and airy, it almost turned Erwin stupid, with adoration for his little boy.

"I never want to share you, ever!" Levi declared, smooching Erwin on the cheek sloppily, but eyes all steel and earnest.

"You won't have to, ever. I promise." Erwin petted his omega's hair and pressed a butterfly kiss to the tip of Levi's nose. He was glad, the existential life crisis had been averted and to see Levi no longer mad at him, crying hysterically. If anything, he had taken it all like a champ and had been so brave, watching the video and offering up some of his thoughts. His communication skills still left much to be desired, but Erwin was proud of him. He had known from the get go that he would need to read Levi, rather than rely on him to speak up for himself. But his omega had already improved so much, since their first encounter.

"Would you show me, all the stuff you have hidden in that room? Will it start looking like the one in the video again?" Levi ventured forward.

"I can show you, if you really want to see some of the things, but we don't have to change much about the room itself, if you don't want to. I actually like the new wall paint way better, than the cliche red anyway."

"I WANT!" Levi exclaimed a little too loudly for comfort, but obviously excited, even if just a little. Erwin slowly got up, still holding Levi cradled to his chest, as he made his way to the playroom, which had been and still was Levi's safe room, now that the tantrum and misconceptions had cleared out.

"I want you to know that this will still be your hide away place if you want to. We can add to it, to play in here, but we don't necessarily need to, if you don't want to." Erwin explained.

Levi spotted some of the hooks and o-rings, still left in the now off white walls, suddenly revealing their actual purpose, which he hadn't paid much mind to before. Erwin had set him down, gesturing over to the pair of armchairs. 

For the first time, Levi noticed the few leftover drilling holes, usually hidden by the fairylights, that had been holding up the St. Andrews cross in the video.

"Do you still have it? The cross? The cameras?" He dared to ask, his voice wobbling on the last request.

"I do have the St. Andrews cross, but it's not in here. I sold some of the furniture like the old bed and some different settings, while others are either stored away, or Mike is holding onto them for safe keeping. But the cameras belong to Mike, so there are no installed cameras watching you or anything of that sort. I promise you." Erwin went over to the dressers, pushed back against the wall, flipping back the fabric and opening the first drawer, with Levi hot on his heels. A part of his rope collection was stored in there, some made of really rough hemp, while others had a variety of color, but were made of soft nylon. They were all bundled up neatly. There were different rings and clasps in there, as well as some zip ties and a few different pairs of scissors. Levi oogled it with interest, knowing the dressers in Erwin's bedroom held similar objects.

The next drawer, held different sets of weights, nestled in expensive looking satin and a little box with a variety of buttons, that looked like some sort of electricity measuring device.

"What is this?" he asked tentatively.

"It is used for delivering electro shocks and can be connected to several devices, like a violet wand." Erwin gestured to the plastic shaped wand stored next to the device. " Or a cook cage, a ball stretcher, clamps or an urethral sound." Levi couldn't help but cringe really hard. Erwin didn't miss a beat, as he took it out and set it aside, to sell at a later date.

"Like hell are you going to use that on me, it probably gives you a heart attack or at least palpitations so bad …" Levi muttered on edge.

"It isn't that powerful, but it shouldn't be used on people with a bypass, or a known heart condition anyway. Operating the device requires a lot of responsibility, but it wasn't a particularly favourite of mine." Erwin brushed it off easily, allowing Levi to open the next drawer by himself. The omega's eyes went as big as saucers, when he came face to face with the paddles and some of the smaller whips and riding crops.

"So this is the box of evil?" Levi commented dryly, fingers brushing over the lacquered wood of a table tennis sized paddle.

"Depends on how you look at it. Paddles are a good substitute for delivering punishments, but not everything is about punishment." The alpha amended, pointedly trying not to stare at his omega's soft ass, that would bloom in the most beautiful colors, at least in his imagination.

They went through some more of the drawers, Levi seeming especially fascinated by the funnel gag and the Wartenberg wheel, even though Erwin was sure, he didn't know its usage. Levi didn't comment on the canes and bigger crops and Erwin let him explore the different items to his heart's content. It was kind of amusing to the alpha to watch how the drawer, that held some of the sensory deprivation items, seemed to be the one Levi was most interested in. His small hands ghosting over the different materials of blindfolds. The full head masks seemed to put him off, but he didn't put them out to the electric current, despite Erwin telling him he could get rid of the things that seemed too scary for him.

Watching Levi explore was a great way of figuring out, what would make his omega tick, it left Erwin basically glowing from the inside.

Levi's cheeks turned a lovely shade of red, as he held one of the gags in hand, eyes on a particular set of restraining cuffs, before his gaze wandered back to the plush fur in front of their bed. Erwin would have paid money to know which scenario unfolded in his omega's brain right there and then. The longer they spent exploring the playroom, the more Levi's mind had started to wander. He found himself growing hot, as he tried to imagine all the different sensations, some of the toys would bring out.

The image of himself bound and restrained, gagged on the fur, at Erwin's mercy, made his skin feel tight, which only grew worse, as the set of buttplugs from the bedroom invaded his mind, making him blush fiercely. He squirmed a little in place, unable to contain his wandering thoughts and afraid that making a move on Erwin right now, there and then, might not be appreciated by the alpha, even though Levi suddenly found himself longing for his alpha's touch. He craved to be close.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *silently drops the update* sorry I feel like we are letting you guys down somehow, and I know it's probably just me being stupid... so I hope you have fun reading. -Satu

The way Levi eyed the fur gags and cuffs made Erwins mind run wild, imagining just how perfect his mate would look all tied up and cuffed to the bed, as he waited for him to come back, his pretty mouth gagged on fur and his tempting ass plugged up and keeping him nicely stretched for him. It would make a nice play, making Levi wait for his reward to heighten the anticipation, while he would be rather close, pretending to be busy with work, or even reading the newspaper. Although, he doubted he could make Levi wait fortoo long, it shouldn’t be torture and he wouldn’t want Levi to get scared, that he was truly left alone like that. As Erwin came up behind Levi, to follow his gaze, since Levi seemed to be quite distracted, a heavy blush tainting his cheeks pink, the omega inched a bit closer to him, so that their bodies were almost touching. Feeling his omega’s need to be close, Erwin enveloped him in his arms and pulled him against his chest. 

“Seeing anything you like, honey?” he asked, as he reached out for one of the fur gags, to hand it to Levi. “They are as soft, as they look. The fur is a strange sensation on your tongue, but they are rather gentle on the corners of your mouth, compared to traditional ball gags.” 

Levi felt the soft material in his hands, measuring out the thickness of the rope, to get an idea, how this might feel in his mouth. 

“Can we try it?” he dared to ask after a while, looking up to Erwin with hooded eyes and although he felt relieved, that Levi found some things to his liking, he wouldn’t want to rush into things and overwhelm his mate again. 

To the alpha Levi seemed like an adorable child, in an all you can eat buffet, who was about to pile more on its plate than it could handle. First the video, then the room and then a good session followed by a nice fucking, actually sounded like an amazing day to the alpha, but he learned to be considerate of Levi’s emotional state and he already had something in mind, as a first start for his mate.

“I would love to, darling.” Erwin confirmed and pressed a small kiss to Levi’s head. 

Levi was about to put the fur gag into his mouth right away and Erwin stopped him immediately, confusion was written over his omega’s face, question marks practically dancing above his head. 

“But it doesn’t work like this.” Following those words, he took the gag from Levi and put it back, while his boy observed him, like he didn’t understand what he just did wrong. 

“You did nothing wrong, sweetheart.” Erwin took the words out of his omega’s mouth, the pout on the pale face was almost too adorable for him to handle. “I just don’t want to push all of this onto you at once. We can take our sweet time tomorrow, if you are still up to it. There is no rush, we…” 

The alpha’s voice trailed off, as he felt Levi turn in his arms, so he was facing him, or rather looking at the broad chest. He stepped back a bit, the alpha’s hands moving to rest on his hips, unwilling to let go of the welcoming warmth. Soon Erwin felt the slim fingers of his mate wander up his sides, until they reached his pecks, caressing the skin covered by the material of his Henley, until they came to rest at the V neckline. Gray eyes looked up at him with seduction and purpose shining in them, as he slowly leaned ever closer. 

“Please, Sir.” Levi whispered and Erwin liked the challenge in his omega’s eyes. 

He would make him whimper and tremble out of pleasure for this, so Erwin complied and leaned down to capture his mate’s lips in a passionate kiss. When did the little minx learn how to be so seductive? Did he simply grow so weak? So mad about him? 

The questions in his mind quickly faded away, as Erwin started to remove Levi’s clothing with slow, but effective motions, careful not to startle him. Kissing his way down the smooth legs, before removing the fuzzy socks, while he felt small fingers dig into his shoulders, before he trailed back up again. 

Now standing before Levi, the alpha still fully clothed in his dark shirt and matching black pants, took in his partner in front of him, admiring the almost naked frame, only clad in his cartoon boxer shorts, as his hands trailed up and down the slim sides. The alpha’s dark attire made a nice contrast to the exposed pale skin he caressed, until little shivers ran down the omegas spine. Instinctively Levi let his own hands get to work, apparently feeling weird to be the only one receiving and doing ‘nothing’ to please his alpha, but Erwin caught Levi’s wandering hands in one of his palms, rendering him useless and walking him slowly to the bed. Levi needed to understand that what felt to him like ‘doing nothing’ was actually the feeling he needed to embrace, that it wasn’t ‘nothing’ but everything, gifting his partner his trust and submitting to him. 

When his knees hit the bed, Levi automatically proceeded to lay down, his legs spread and his body language screaming at the alpha, to simply crawl on top of him and as much as Erwin wanted to, there were still a few things left to discuss. Instead he stood before the bed, his eyes firmly resting on Levi, who seemed a bit lost on the bed, not knowing what he was supposed to do now.

“Come closer, kneel on the bed. Back straight, hands on your thighs. We need to be clear about a few things first.” He said and waited for Levi to follow his command. When he was in the desired position, looking up at him curiously and impatient, Erwin continued: “I am about to restrain your upper body movements and gag you. So safe words and the traditional red, yellow, green will only be useful, until you’re gagged. Until then I will stop the second you say ‘Schnitzel’.” 

Levi rolled his eyes at the weird safe word, but didn’t dare to object out loud for the moment. 

“It is supposed to be something you would never say during sex, so you won’t just accidentally say it.” followed Erwin’s explanation anyway. 

"I don't like it." Levi stated, unable to hide the amused scoff in his voice. 

Erwin ignored the bratty undertone, after all Levi needed to be comfortable with their safe word, he might as well choose it, so he asked what he would prefer as an alternative. 

"Tea." Levi suggested plainly and earned a chuckle from Erwin in return. 

Why was he not surprised? 

"Alright, we will have tea." Erwin confirmed with a cheeky grin and Levi had to suppress a groan, at the terrible dad joke his mate came up with. “After you have been gagged, I want you to tap me with your feet the moment you are uncomfortable. Once for a quick break, so I can remove your gag to talk, twice for me to stop and end the play. Never feel ashamed or guilty to use a safeword or another signal. I won’t be disappointed and there won’t be any punishment for that. It is just a safety precaution in case I don’t smell your distress in time.” He explained further, mindful that Levi was listening to him intently. 

“Please answer the following questions with yes or no, Sir. Did you understand what I just explained to you?” That was his first order for his omega and he was curious how this might work out, since Levi seemed a bit too enthusiastic and desperate to be good.

“Yes.” Levi responded a bit too fast, as expected. He was still wet behind the ears, but the alpha was keen on giving him a good lesson, deciding to take it easy on him. That didn’t mean he would oversee slipups. 

“I didn’t quite understand you, sweetheart.” Erwin replied firmly, his gaze fixated on the nervous omega in front of him, who looked a bit disheveled already. 

It was obvious that Levi wanted to be good at this, wanted to be perfect for his alpha, without accepting that this would be a process. No one was perfect from the get go, but at least Levi was naturally submissive, although he had trouble admitting this fact about himself. Erwin remembered fondly and somewhat painfully, how he himself had mouthed off to Mike in the beginning, since he was indeed not a naturally submissive person to begin with. 

“Yes, Sir.” Levi corrected himself immediately and looked down on his clenching fingers. His fingernails left imprints on the flesh of his thighs. 

“Good, pet. Are you feeling comfortable right now?” 

“Yes, Sir.” As Levi answered the question, Erwin nodded and turned to open one of the drawers. When he turned around again, he had two long ropes in his hand, holding them in front of Levi and showing them to him closely, before encouraging him to touch them with his own hands to feel them up. 

“Are they too rough?” Erwin asked and observed Levi’s reaction carefully, but there wasn’t much fear in his eyes, as he replied with “No, Sir.”. Only a hint of nervousness disrupted the pale features. 

Standing in front of him, with the rope straightened between his hands, giving Levi a moment to take the intimidating picture of his alpha in, all dark and handsome, exerting dominance and control. It was difficult for Levi to read his alpha, he seemed so composed, as if the naked state of his mate wouldn’t faze him at all, if it weren’t for the intense blue gaze fixated on him, revealing his excitement. Or for the fact that the air was heavy with the alpha’s pheromones. The alpha smelt like he was about to pounce, but he didn’t and it confused Levi’s omega side. He wondered how much it would take to make him let go of his control and finally give it to him. “Are you sure about this?” Erwin asked one last time, pulling the ropes between his hands. Levi could see the firm muscles flex under the material of the shirt, that he cursed so much at this moment. He wanted to finally feel his alpha’s hands on him, feel his body close, get enveloped in his warmth and completely consumed by him. 

“Yes, Sir.” Levi answered, gray focusing on blue, as the omega forced himself to stay still, although every ounce of his being itched to wiggle in excitement. Erwin knew what to do and Erwin would tell him, if he was behaving incorrectly and the simplicity of this play somehow soothed his nerves. Something in Levi had suddenly changed, the nervousness inside his body faded away slowly and Erwin gave him the time to sort through his thoughts, until he seemed almost relaxed in his position. 

“Stand up and turn around. Keep your head up and your eyes open. You may watch what I do, but you do not crane your neck, or even turn around.” Erwin ordered and Levi complied, turning his back to the alpha obediently. “Good. Now put your arms behind your back so that your fingers touch the inside of your elbow of the other arm. Yes, exactly like that. You are doing well, pet.”

There was only minor adjusting needed, otherwise Erwin was quite impressed how good Levi’s posture was, back straight and stance firm, so he would not falter, the moment he would pull the ropes around him. Erwin positioned himself directly behind Levi, his body close to the smaller one, as he reached around with his hands, to start with the first loop around the chest. He was going for a classic takate kote tie, which would enable him to control most of Levi’s movements, by only handling the knot on the back.

Levi would still have free reign over his legs, giving him the option to kick Erwin, once or twice when necessary, just as compromised. A shudder ghosted over Levis skin, at the feeling of the rough material of the rope, scraping gently over his skin. He could tell that the ropes had been treated with something unfamiliar beforehand and he remembered Erwin mentioning something about ‘avoiding bleeding and too harsh rope burn with proper care’, but his mind could not focus long enough to remember it correctly, as a bolt of electricity shot through him, at the feeling of fingers caressing his chest with slow firm strokes. 

He could feel Erwins hot breath ghosting over the skin of his neck, the heavy weight against his smaller frame, as the alpha behind him looped the ropes around him, only gaining a bit of distance, when he was starting to work on the arms, restricting his ability to move freely. Levi noticed that the binding was firm, but not painful to him, and if he truly wanted to, he could bring up the force to rip himself free at any moment. 

Every time Erwin noticed just the smallest twitch, or felt the slightest hint of discomfort radiating from Levi, he pressed his body close again, his head buried into the small curve of the pale neck, his breath ghosting over the faint bonding mark, as he refrained himself from licking and kissing over it. Not yet, Erwin told himself, keeping his composure. Instead, he hushed Levi gently, whenever his breath hitched or the omega whimpered, because Erwin pulled the rope too tight or purposefully accidentally graced the pink rose buds with the rough material. 

Once Erwin was done, he stepped back to admire his handiwork, the criss crossing of ropes on Levi’s back, from his arms to his chest, came all together in a big knot in the middle.

When Levi itched to turn around, since the alpha suddenly didn’t do anything anymore, Erwin’s big hands snatched forward, to get a firm hold on the knot, hindering Levi directly in the movement, as if he was nothing more than a rag doll. At that, the omega let out a startled gasp and Erwin was almost sure he earned a ‘tea’, but the smaller man stood still, waiting for what happened next. He let himself be inspected by the dominant, who walked around him, occasionally pulling on a rope or adjusting a loop, mumbling words of appreciation under his breath, praising his pet how good he was for him. Now facing Levi, Erwin reached out for the fur gag, letting his hands run over the soft material, already imagining what a nice contrast it would make, compared to the harsh ropes around the pale body and the pink of his lips. He wouldn’t have to wait long, he thought as he smirked at his omega, who eyed the gag a bit suspiciously, as if he was overthinking, if giving up his coherent speech would be his best option now, but he decided to trust Erwin in this. His alpha knew what he was doing and the pheromones of the excited alpha, made forming full sentences aside from ‘yes, Sir.’, no, Sir.’ And maybe 'tea’ impossible. Erwins musk was still heavy in the air, despite his calm demeanor. 

“Are you ready?” the alpha inquired and only moved further, as he received an almost whimpered “Yes, Sir.” 

With that Erwin grabbed the knot again and pushed Levi back on the bed again, his mate’s legs scrambling to comply with the push and crawling on the mattress, as the alpha followed him onto the bed. Levi was almost laying on his stomach, only supported by his shoulders and knees, as Erwin climbed over him, straddling the small of his back, without putting any weight on the small body beneath him. He leaned forward and inches Levi’s head up.

The omega had been trying to hide his face in the sheets, to hide his red flushed cheeks and stifle the little moans that escaped him at the rather rough treatment. When Erwin was about to stop and make sure he didn’t hurt him, he noticed that Levi was trying to press his hips into the soft bedding beneath him, to get some friction, whimpering pitifully. The scent of slick hit the alpha’s nose and he couldn’t stop the content rumbling in his chest. Still, he was having none of this and firmly took a hold of the small hips, keeping them still and giving Levi a small slap on the flank. 

“You are not allowed to cum by your own ministrations.” He ordered, his voice deep and borderline threatening, as he squeezed the hip firmly for good measure, earning another whimper from Levi, who breathed out a shaky “Yes, Sir.”. 

Then he returned back to the fur gag, hunching over the omegas upper back, as he instructed Levi to open his mouth wide and then bite down on the gag, to make sure it was fitted correctly, as he fastened it from behind. 

The feeling on Levi’s tongue was weird, but not unpleasant, the fur tickling his tongue, but otherwise the device was very soft on the corners of his mouth, so he did not have to fear running around with inflamed corners. Breathing through the material proved to be a bit difficult, but he was able to breathe through his nose just fine, so his first instance of panic, at the lack of air in his lungs quickly faded, leaving him somewhat excited at the prospect of being choked on the gag. He felt helpless and he knew he was supposed to hate the feeling, always hated the feeling of being weak, but with Erwin, it was suddenly something else. It felt like he was getting stronger, because he could trust his alpha this much.

Lost in his thoughts, Levi hadn’t noticed that Erwin had stood up again and walked over to another drawer, to collect an item he was very fond of. He inspected the item closely, before walking back to Levi, who tried his best to stay still, despite the urge to grind against the soft sheets again. A tell tale sign, that his skin must be very sensitive already. Erwin could get a glimpse of the stiff nipples, begging to be touched, but all in good time, he thought to himself, as he flicked the wheels with his fingers, listening to the almost inaudible whir and feeling the gentle prickle of the needles. 

Eying the skin of Levi’s shoulder blades, pale between the ropes, the blond climbed on the bed again to lean over the omega and made sure to place one of his legs always in the kicking range of Levi’s feet. With careful movements, so Levi wouldn’t get a glimpse of the item he was wielding, he brought down the Wartenberg wheel to scrape along Levi’s skin. At first Levi let out a squeak, that drifted off in a purr, as he noticed that, whatever metal was touching him, would not cut his skin, but only prickle it, in an almost massaging manner. Erwin continued to draw lazy lines on Levi’s back, wandering along his shoulders, until he moved to show it to Levi, whos eyes widened, as he saw the scary looking mini torture wheel. He couldn’t believe that this would actually feel this nice, make his skin hypersensitive and just tingle in the right way. 

“This is called a Wartenberg wheel and one of the objects that look far scarier than they actually are. They were originally used as a medical device to test nerve reactions, but now it is more common, as a tool to heighten your sensitivity. They come with a various amount of wheels, as you can see, this one has five that move individually. It draws your blood closer to the surface, making every sensation more intense.” Erwin explained, as the fingers of his other hands caressed the places on the back, he had treated with it before.

He could feel goosebumps form beneath the tips of his fingers, as muffled moans came out of Levi’s mouth. 

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” he teased and Levi tried to nod frantically, but was stopped by a firm grip on his neck, telling him to hold still. “I want you to stay still for me, pet.” He ordered, as he proceeded with his administrations, letting his fingers draw circles on pale skin and occasionally scraping it with his nails, which made Levi stifle another whimper. 

“If it is this intense on your back, just imagine how good it would feel somewhere else.” Erwin purred darkly, as he moved lower, letting the pins of the wheel prickle over Levi’s lower back, as he slowly removed the omega’s boxers. 

With one hand he pushed Levi’s legs further apart, so he could even see the muscles in his white thighs quiver, at the effort to not just rut his stiff little omega cock against the sheets. A small drop of precum had already gathered at the pink tip and threatened to spill onto the sheets underneath. Erwin resisted the urge to scoop it up with his finger and taste it, he wanted his omega to come untouched, only from the sensations of his body and little hole, that was already slicking up so nicely, making the alpha realize just how tight his own pants had become. Still he focused on teasing Levi, his hands following the trace of the wheel close, caressing, pinching and scratching, until he leaned over and started to add little kisses and licks to the sensations, making Levi struggle to keep quiet, as whimpers and whines got swallowed by the gag.

Levi let out a scream, when Erwin suddenly bit down on the globe of his ass, not very hard actually, but it must have felt like a lot, since another wave of fresh slick hit the alpha. The omega’s thighs were practically glistening with it, as Erwin reached out to steady the small hips. Levi was almost slumping forwards, dizzy with pleasure and not able to support himself, due to his bound upper body. Crawling up the omega’s body, Erwin took in every inch of Levi’s blissed out stature. Gray eyes looked up at him hazily, but the omega attempted to smile around the gag, as he saw the concerned look on his dominants face. It was intense, but he was still okay and with him. Sprawled across his back, supporting himself with his left arm, Erwin started to plant butterfly kisses on the omegas neck, before continuing with the Wartenberg wheel, as an idea suddenly crossed his mind. He took the wheel and proceeded to draw lines on the delicate neck, down to the shoulders and up again, first only grazing their bonding mark and then prickling over it. All the time his eyes were fixated on Levi, watching his reaction carefully, there was a high chance Levi wouldn’t feel anything at all, considering their broken link, but maybe, just maybe the stimulation on a different level, would help ease him into the remaining threads of their bond. Seeing his omega squirm beneath him in pleasure, as he caressed the mark, made his own cock throb painfully, against the confines of his pants. Erwin stopped his ministrations with the wheel and put it aside, while he kissed along the neck lovingly to distract his mate.

Levi was mewling in content and Erwin was intensifying his efforts, holding Levi’s hips still with his now free hand, before he suddenly pressed his body completely against Levi’s delicate frame and bit down on the bonding mark with sharp teeth. Levi cried out in pain and pleasure, muffled through the gag, tears gleaming in his eyes, as he spilled himself on the bedding beneath, at the feeling of his alpha's teeth down his neck and the broad body above him. White flashed in front of his eyes and for a second he felt his heart stand still, as the sensation washed over him, more intense than anything he had ever felt. The bite on his neck shot through his whole body, despite not being in heat yet and coupled with the warmth of Erwin above him, it was too much. He couldn’t stay quiet and hold his orgasm back any longer.

Levi actually whimpered through the aftershocks, as Erwin released his neck, feeling the alpha gently cradling him to his chest, as he was moved away from the wet spot.

For a second Levi feared the wreath, since he had come without Erwin's explicit permission. He wasn't even sure if he needed it, but the alpha telling him not to cum at the start, got kinda stuck in his brain. To make matters worse, Erwin wasn't even naked, nor had he cum at all. What if he had spoiled all the fun, they were supposed to have? 

The fear of having done something wrong, when he had tried to be good for Sir so hard, was an ugly parasite gnawing at his bliss, trying to infiltrate his mind. Levi started shivering in Erwin's hold, guilt adding to the mix, as he pressed closer to Erwin's bossom.

"You did so good darling." Erwin praised him, his voice softer and more gentle, observing his mate closely. Levi seemed to drop rather quickly, but then again their play, despite being intense for the omega, wasn't that challenging on the body, as other scenes would have been. 

Erwin kept praising him, as he unfastened the gag, giving Levi the option to speak up, should he want to, before loosening the ties and knots, to allow the omega free reign of his limbs.

"I will be right back to cuddling you, once I'm done with the ropes." He kept assuring his mate with gentle touches to his lower back, hoping to convey that their scene had ended, while also checking over Levi's back and shoulders for any signs of rope burn or another injury, as well as the rest of his body. There wasn't any sign, except for the rosy tinted flesh, where the wheel had drawn the blood to the surface and a few scratch marks, that would fade in time.

Erwin didn't care, if he got another case of blue balls to boot, Levi being comfortable right now, after everything that had transpired just a few minutes ago, was his main priority. He had been toying with the idea of easing his mate into a nice slow coupling at first, he still was aroused as all hell, his dick uncomfortably fighting the confines of his black cotton pants. But the moment his teeth had nipped into his omega's neck, he kind of had known to discard this part right away. 

He could feel Levi's euphoria, the joy of his singing blood, sated by lust, but he had also picked up on the wary signs of wear in his mate's body. The mild scene had taken its toll on the small omega's body, it was all new to him after all. So many different sensations that had to be processed, experienced and accepted. Erwin was sure a full on fucking, might have sent Levi into sensory overload, instead of helping him transition out of the scene. His fingers were quick at work, while Levi still twitched under every single touch.

He discarded the ropes to the side of the bed, to be handled later, but far enough away, that Levi wouldn't accidentally get caught up in them.

The alpha discarded his Henley to bare his chest and keep himself from overheating, before snuggling right back up, as he had promised, wrapping one of the thankfully clean blankets around his mate, to keep him warm, now that the sweat was starting to cool down. 

Levi stared at the bare chest, not knowing what he was supposed to do right now. Erwin looked ready to get happily naked after all and the omega wasn't so sure, if he felt ready enough to sate the alpha's heavy thrusts, with his dick still resting spent and soft between his thighs, obviously done for the night and not interested in another round. It was nice to have free reign of his movement again, but his arms felt like lead and a wave of tiredness took hold of him. He rolled halfway up on Erwin's bare chest, nuzzling his face into it, while his numb fingers tried to search for the fly of his pants. 

He wanted to be good. He had to be good. He had to be enough to satisfy the Sir. But Erwin was quick to catch his wandering hands, stumbling across the cotton of the alpha's pants. He drew them up, to place a kiss on each knuckle, before slowly working up Levi's arm with deft fingers and practiced ease, to encourage the blood flow back into his limbs, then treating the other in the same way. The muscles in his underarms were flexing nicely and the praise Erwin showered him with felt good, soothing Levi's worries away. Even if Erwin was repeating himself, it felt good to hear. Sir seemed pleased with him, but in his sleepy state, he'd rather have his daddy back, while the spunk that had partially splattered onto his tummy and the slick between his thighs was drying stickily on his skin and partially rubbing off onto Erwin's clothes.

"It's okay, darling. I'm very happy. You did amazing. We are done now, you don't have to do anything right now." The alpha pointed out again, feeling Levi slump against him, tension finally draining entirely from his body, as he slightly drew his legs closer to his chest, without disturbing his claimed place on Erwin's firm pecs. "That's right, relax baby. Do you want some water?" 

The omega gave a slow nod, getting rid of the fuzzy feeling in his mouth, the gag had left behind and after drooling up a storm, seemed a good idea. Erwin offered him the bottle that had a baby blue straw in it, which Levi was grateful for. Even sucking up the water seemed a hard task right now. It was all the more refreshing, once it hit his deserted mouth, washing away the after taste with every tiny sip, while the alpha's fingers softly carded through his sweaty hair.

"What else do you need?" The gentle voice burst back into his fading concentration. Need? Was he allowed to ask for stuff? Would it disappoint Sir, if he asked for his daddy? Levi wasn't so sure, his brain running too low to make much sense, or recall any of the explanations, Erwin had spent so much time on teaching him, prior to their encounter.

"Nap." Levi sighed out, his breath tickling across the bare chest, raising goosebumps in its wake. "And daddy, please." He mumbled, as a yawn echoed around the room. Maybe if he said please enough, Sir would allow it? It seemed polite at least. The hug from Sir was nice and all, but he'd rather got a full on cuddle from his daddy.

A soft grin spread across Erwin's face at the omega's sleepy request.

"Of course, sweets, daddy is always here for you." He murmured, tone even softer than before. "You can take a quick nap now and afterwards we can take a nice warm shower, cleaning you all up again and making you pretty. How does that sound?"

"Amaz…" a soft snore ended Levi's comment prematurely, which in turn made the alpha snort. His baby boy had conked out hard, before even finishing his response. It was endearing to witness. Erwin allowed him to dooze for about 20 minutes, his caresses never stopping, while he enjoyed the comforting weight of his mate curled up to him. The allotted time, also gave him enough room to chase away his hard on, that faded, while the alpha's mind was consumed by how much he loved the little man in his hold.

Rousing Levi from his nap was thankfully easy, considering the omega probably started to feel icky himself. Erwin ignored the cum stain on his discarded shirt, while he swept up Levi bridal style, to carry him through to the ensuite bathroom of his bedroom. The omega clung to him, head resting close to Erwin's scent gland and only let go, once Erwin placed him down, to discard his pants to rinse them both down. Erwin was proud of himself for keeping his touches to cleaning his omega's body, instead of getting lost in another flash of want. 

They picked up soft clothes afterwards to laze around in. Erwin's university t-shirt faded and soft, from many circles in the washing machine, and Levi enjoying the feeling of Nana's fuzzy warm socks she had gifted him, along with one of Erwin's enormous sweaters. 

While Levi didn't particularly ask for snacks, Erwin offered some regardless, which made them end up in the kitchen eventually, where Levi was munching on some orange slices, while they finally made a batch of actual cookies from their leftover ingredients.

Levi was laughing whole heartily and Erwin didn't berate him for his bratty behaviour. The omega had just doused him in a cloud of flour after all, leaving his face powdered, the flour clinging to his eyebrows relentlessly, while Erwin in turn had stuck his finger into the batter, to smear a big drop of it right on the omega's nose. Levi tried to lick it off with his tongue, but couldn't quite reach, his eyes crossing as he tried, which made Erwin chuckle. The alpha took pity on him and licked it off, leaving a kiss behind, while his mate squealed.

"Gross!" Levi exclaimed laughing.

Erwin smiled down at his mate, as he took in just how beautiful Levi looked right now, with his gray eyes shining and his hair tousled. Yesterday he hadn’t been so sure that he would ever see his mate this happy and carefree, but for now it was like nothing bad had ever happened to them, as they were baking together in the kitchen, fooling around like a true freshly mated couple. 

The kitchen started to smell like Christmas, the air thick with chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon, sugary sweet and warm.

After they decided to start off with simple vanilla crescents, which they had put in the oven first– they were now getting started on chocolate cookies and while Levi was rolling his eyes at how much chocolate chips Erwin wanted to dump into the dough, the alpha was relentless during his mission to make the most chocolaty cookies the world had ever seen. 

“There is no thing like too much chocolate.” Erwin argued his case, as he was about to open another bag of chocolate chips, but Levi stopped him in time. 

“Believe me, there is.” He replied, taking the bag away from Erwin, who looked like a small child, that was about to beg. But Levi was having none of it, as he glared at him, pointing his spoon at him to make a point. “No more chocolate!” He repeated, expecting Erwin to pout, instead the blond reached for his spoon, holding it up like a weapon. 

“Do you want to fight me on this?” Erwin mocked, before he suddenly drew forward to attack Levi with his spoon playfully. 

The smaller man countered expertly and grabbed the bag of chocolate chips, as if it was a treasure to protect. For a while they fought bravely, the wooden spoons clashing against each other and it didn’t take long, until Erwin had the upper hand and chased Levi around the kitchen table, with both spoons in his hands, until he finally managed to corner him against the kitchen counter. Levi’s breath hitched, as his alpha pressed close, the broad body firm, against his smaller one, as the intense blue eyes gazed down on him.

For a brief moment he wondered, if Erwin still chased his own satisfaction and the whole banter had been an excuse to get him all caught up again. 

After all, the smell of the alpha was getting musky and heavy with pheromones again and as the blond leant down, obviously about to caress the pliant neck beneath him with feverish kisses. Levi found himself craning his neck and closing his eyes, almost begging his alpha to just take what belonged to him, instead of being ever so kind and understanding. He waited for the feeling of moist lips and sharp teeth nipping into his skin, a wet tongue licking a stripe behind his ear and giving him shivers from head to toe, but none of it came. As Levi blinked one eye open to see why nothing was happening, Erwin stood before him, grinning like a Cheshire cat, with the bag of chocolate chips proudly held up in his hands. 

“Fuck you, daddy!” Levi spat, as he shoved the still snickering alpha away and stomped over to the other side of the kitchen to investigate, what else Erwin had bought, muttering something like “Just put it all in the dough and eat it alone. Die of sugar overdose and heart failure, what do I care!”. 

“Okay okay, you win, sweetheart.” Erwin crooned, coming up behind Levi, who was hovering over the bags of baking ingredients and looking at all the different kinds of decoration inside of it. Draping his arms around the omega and pressing close again, nosing the neck this time, the alpha started to plead his case, about putting cinnamon in one batch of the cookies, to give them more of a Christmassy flair.

“Someone is touchy today. Don’t put more than one tablespoon of cinnamon into the batter or we will all die and I fucking mean it. I’m not even joking!” Levi commented, as he handed Erwin the cinnamon, noticing that the big blonde oaf still wasn’t stepping away from him, despite having gotten what he wanted. Before he could elaborate any further, he had found something else in the bag. It felt like a big carton and as he pulled it out, he was faced with one of those enormous sets, you build a gingerbread house with. “Why the fuck would you buy a gingerbread house?” Levi wanted to know.

“Because you asked for it, honey. Don’t you like it?” Erwin inquired, looking over Levi’s shoulder at the design. He had chosen a simple gingerbread house set, with all the necessary features to build and decorate it, nothing too extravagant, but not the smallest set available either, he didn’t want Levi to think of him as a cheap ass, that deemed the barest minimum as enough effort. 

“I can’t really remember asking for it.” the omega admitted, turning to look at Erwin almost apologetically. “I don’t really like gingerbread. But we can build it up together, make it look nice and then, you can eat it.” The small smile on Levi’s face fell, when Erwin admitted, that he wasn’t that fond of gingerbread either. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I asked for it. You don’t have to get everything I ask for, daddy.” uncertainty made his voice wobble slightly.

“How about we build it together and then gift it to Nana and Mike? She really likes ginger bread and Mike is always hungry… imagine how mad she would be, if I tell her that we built a gingerbread house and trashed it. She would pout and probably give us a three hour lecture about wasting precious food.”

With that it was settled and they decided to get started on the gingerbread house, after they changed baking trays – the vanilla crescents turned out to be just perfect, their smell heavy in air, as they were placed on the kitchen counter too cool down and make space for the next charge of cookies in the oven (death due to chocolate, as Levi had named them fondly). 

So they got to work, unpacking that monstrosity and figuring out where the fuck, which layer of gingerbread belonged to exactly took forever. Erwin was reading out the instructions, while Levi tried to follow them with steady hands, somehow creating the foundation of the house and keeping it steady enough, for the frosting to dry. The task would have been a lot easier, if there wasn’t the weight of a certain alpha, resting on his shoulders, who was feeling touchy and had trouble keeping his hands to himself, always lingering close and only leaving his side to change cookie trays. 

What confused Levi was that the touches weren’t remotely sexual, wondering what had gotten into his mate all of a sudden, as if he was suddenly getting jealous over them doing something for another alpha, despite it being his own damn idea. There was no logic behind it. 

Erwin wouldn’t have been able to explain it, but every fiber in his body itched to be close to his omega and the feeling grew stronger with every passing day. It had started a few days ago, when he had talked to Hanji and Mike, so he knew, that it was his approaching rut, telling him that his omega shouldn’t pay more attention to a stupid gingerbread house than to his alpha.

“Stop looking so goddamn constipated, this was your idea after all.” Levi said, just finishing another line of frosting and turning around to work on another batch of cookie dough, while waiting for the frosting to dry. And Erwin knew that Levi was right, so he decided to pull himself together. He should enjoy the smell of cookies and the genuine happiness Levi was radiating, his creativity flourishing between flour and cinnamon. It was pure bliss, at least it should have been, if he wouldn’t have to fight with the little creature named jealousy, sitting on his shoulder, whispering absurd things into his ears, that he shoved away as good as he could. 

“Erwin? For the second time now, do you have human shaped cookie cutters?” Levi’s voice was able to throw him out of his thoughts and he came back to gray eyes looking at him a bit worried. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes. Yes, to both questions. Here you are sweety, do you want to make little Santa Clauses?” Erwin finally answered and handed him the items in question. 

“No, I thought it would be nice, if we would make two cookies and decorate them, so they look like Nana and Mike, to put in the front yard of their gingerbread house.” The omega explained, completely unfazed by the sour face Erwin pulled at that.

'Didn’t he want to make cookies looking like us?' The alpha wondered, while he clung to Levi’s heels the whole time. He did notice how ridiculous his behavior was getting, that he was truly about to ruin a perfect evening of them just being together, because his alpha side disapproved of his mate providing for another couple and thriving in it. The prospect of doing something nice for Nana seemed to spur Levi on. He was never able to give something back, as a little thank you before, so this opportunity was important to him and Erwin would be doomed, if he would not be able to control his possessive alpha tendencies -even near rut- enough to help him make the most beautiful looking gingerbread house ever. 

In the end it turned out even better than Erwin had anticipated, the structure of the house solid and the roof decorated with chocolate and gummy bears. Cookie Nana and Mike stood next to each other in the yard, in front of their house, that was surrounded by marshmallow bushes. 

“If this isn’t the perfect bribe, I don’t know what could be.” Erwin exclaimed proudly, hugging Levi close, as he eyed up the house all over again, not noticing the shocked look on his mate’s face, who pulled himself free out of the hug immediately. 

“Bribe? What are you talking about? You have been weird, since we started building it.” Levi demanded an answer, crossing his arms in front of his chest and standing between Erwin and the gingerbread house almost protectively. He was proud of his work and the gift he created for his friends. This was not going to be some bribe, for whatever the alpha had planned in his wicked mind.

“I was just kidding, honey.” Erwin countered instead, with a nervous laugh, as he stepped back to start cleaning up some bowls, that were too big for the dishwasher to handle. Now Levi was the one following his mate up close and invading his personal bubble. Glancing to the side, while scrubbing furiously, to seem super busy, cursing himself internally for fucking it up again, Erwin noticed, that Levi looked more concerned than angry. He wished he could say ‘Everything is fine’ and Levi would believe it, but this wasn’t how it worked. Levi was already getting distressed, seeing his alpha closing up again, instead of trusting him in return, after all the trust the omega had gifted him with before. He needed to trust Levi, as much as Levi trusted him. Erwin knew that, but why did his jaw suddenly feel heavy, making it difficult for him to open his mouth. 

“I’m going into rut.” Erwin finally spilled the beans, as he put one bowl aside and dried his hands with a towel. “Not now and not tomorrow, but it is approaching. Maybe one or two weeks, I can’t tell for sure. All I know is that it drives me insane, my body itches to be close to you and I’m afraid that I will lose control again. I can’t hurt you again! I won’t let myself do that! So just in case, that I feel myself slipping, I wanted you to have a safe space away from me, until my rut is over. That’s all, baby boy, you don’t have to worry about anything. I'll take care of it.” Levi didn’t hear the worried undertone in Erwins words, didn’t recognize the reason for his fear of his impending rut. 

If Levi was not going into heat, it could get very dangerous for the little omega, having a rutting alpha on top of him, who was not in the right state of mind to understand, why exactly his bonding mark wasn’t catching permanently and instead bit down on the poor neck over and over again, until – Erwin didn’t want to think any further about it. Instead his smile was warm and reassuring, as Levi looked at him with widened eyes, not believing the stupid self-sacrificing bullshit his mate was pulling again. They had worked so hard on themselves over time and Levi was confident, he could handle his alpha, they were mated after all.

Levi just rolled his eyes at Erwin's bullshit, but decided to let it slip for now. They cleaned up the rest of the kitchen together, with soft Christmas songs playing over the radio, finishing their respective drinks in companionable silence.

Levi couldn't wait to gift the gingerbread house to Nana and Mike, because there was an unknown feeling in the back of his mind that he might not be able to do so after Christmas eve. 

He had tried mulling over, what could possibly happen, but drew a blank. He hated waiting for the unknown, with the knowledge, that for some reason, some kind of doom was upon him. The only ever time he remembered feeling like this, was when a mission got aborted on the last minute, because something went wrong.

But for the sake of it, he couldn't pinpoint the source of his dread. It wasn't Erwin's approaching rut, because even though he knew about it now, he was confident that he could deal with it regardless. The court was not working over the holidays, which eliminated any bad news to show up at their door, so the problem clearly wasn't Nile related either. He sighed heavily, drawing Erwin's attention to his fidgeting fingers.

"What's wrong, darling?" Erwin inquired gently.

"Could we go drop off the gingerbread house?" Levi mumbled hesitantly, he wanted it over and done with.

"Don't you want to wait for Christmas eve?" Erwin suggested befuddled.

"No!" Levi's answer was clipped and brisk and Erwin didn't really know why his mate was suddenly sounding so pissed off, but he also didn't want Levi to wait. 

He shot a quick text to Mike, to check if the pair was home, announcing their arrival. Maybe it would do Levi some good to spend some time with Nana. The alpha wasn't very happy regardless, but if they got it out of the way, he would have his mate all to himself come the holidays. 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is some fluff and sass for you guys.  
Spoiler alert: This fic is finished, BUT me and Skoene are currently writing a Bonus Scene...oops.  
I hope everyone is doing well in the pandemic, keep hanging in there and stay safe! <3

They got dressed in proper clothes and bundled up against the cold, before taking the drive over to their friends house. Erwin was extra careful with the gingerbread house, so it wouldn't crash and burn, Levi observing him critically, with his ever resting bitch face back in place. They didn't talk at all, while the radio was playing on low and Erwin actually started to worry about Levi's sudden mood swing. The omega was staring out of the window, watching the streets of the city pass by, as he nervously tapped his fingers, against the inseam of his black jeans.

Levi could see the furrow between Erwin's huge eyebrows in the reflection of the mirror, it basically begged to ask what was wrong. But Levi wasn't so sure, if he actually even wanted to answer that, without ripping Erwin a new asshole.

His temper was flaring and most of all the omega was annoyed with himself. Annoyed with Erwin for thinking, he wasn't tough enough to spent a rut with him and his stupid jealousy towards Nana and Mike. Annoyed with himself, that Erwin even entertained such a ridiculous idea in the first place. But the fucking cake was something entirely different, Erwin didn't even know about and Levi only remembered in the middle of his musing. It was his fucking birthday coming up.

Since Kenny never bothered with celebrating Christmas or actually any of the holidays, it was easier to forget, but he loathed it all the same. It was his birthday, when his uncle would be the most drunk and the most pissed off. On this day, he would receive the more vicious beatings, the most humiliating harassments. All in all the abuse would double tenfold, upto the point that by the time night would fall, Levi had been a crying, sobbing mess on the floor, pleading for his own death by the hands of his sadistic uncle.

His birthday had never once been a good day. He hated it. Whenever his brain registered that day was coming up, it felt like the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

He actually was a tiny bit glad Erwin hadn't asked him about it so far. It just never came up in conversation. He wasn't sure if he could allow himself to be doted on by his mate. 

He was still grumpy, when they'd rung the doorbell, but Nana's blinding smile upon seeing the gingerbread house, made even him smile. Mike seemed happy too, doing his creepy sniffing thing again, before giving Erwin a bit of a stinky eye.

Levi paid it no mind, as he followed Nana into the den, leaving the alpha's to themselves.

He snuggled up with her under a heap of blankets and was grateful for the warmth provided by a hot cup of tea, she pressed into his hands.

"Thank you for the gingerbread house. It's lovely." She beamed at him, offering a hug, Levi gratefully accepted.

"I'm glad you liked it. I missed you." Levi mumbled against her chest, getting comfortable. He listened to Nana's rambling, even enjoying it, since it distracted him from his inner turmoil and the background noise.

From the sound of it Mike and Erwin seemed to be already arguing about something trivial in the kitchen. How fucking typical for alpha’s always headbutting one way or another.

Erwin was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, until Mike handed him a cup of coffee. Muttering a brief “Thank you.” - Erwin was grateful that he could occupy his hands otherwise now, clenching the slightly too hot beverage and taking a sip to calm himself down. He had been nervous, before they’d arrived at Mike’s house, but now standing in front of Mike made him restless. The stench of other alpha in the air bothered him, since his rut was close and he didn’t like the thought of Levi being in the middle of that stench, basically bathing in it, while being in the apartment. Truth be told he couldn’t wait for Levi to finish talking to Nanaba, so he would be finally able to take him home again, just to cuddle up close and subtly scent him all over, maybe they could even take another bath together as well. Still there was a reason they were here, aside from bringing over the gingerbread house, although he promised Levi to not use it as a bribe, his concerns for his little mate surpassed his bad conscience. 

Mike stood beside him, blowing air over his own mug of coffee to cool it down, while he waited for Erwin to finally spit out the words that weighed down his tongue. 

“I’m going into rut.” Erwin started, looking up from his cup, his jaw clenching tight, as Mike just snorted at that. 

“Oh really, I couldn’t tell.” The other alpha feigned surprise, as he set his cup aside to cross his arms in front of his chest. “I need to air out my entire apartment for a whole week to get your stench out of it, but I hadn’t noticed before you’ve told me. Thank you very much.” Mike snorted.

“Quit the sarcasm, Mike! I’m serious.” Erwin bit back, his eyes staring down angrily into the black liquid filling up his cup. The coffee tasted just as bitter on his tongue, as he felt inside.

He was seriously concerned about Levi’s wellbeing and Mike laughed it off, as if it was all a crude joke to him, despite everything that had happened between them before. Mike should be able to understand the issue at hand, Erwin figured, as he decided to not let the matter drop that quickly. The other alpha had been there. He had seen the video of what Erwin was capable of, when fueled by his rut. Was it laughable, that he simply wanted Levi to be safe? 

“I’m going into rut and I’m afraid that I’m going to hurt Levi… again!” Erwin repeated, this time his tone of voice was much firmer, as he looked up at Mike and almost pierced him with his blue eyes. The taller alpha just flexed his biceps at that, but remained totally unimpressed otherwise. 

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much.” Mike noted, looking back at Erwin, as if he was stupid. 

“Mike, I’m afraid I will hurt him. What if I can’t control myself? You know what I did to him! You saw it! You were disgusted with me and just imagine how disgusted I was with myself, I can’t let this happen to him-“

“Erwin!” Mike tried to interrupt his rambling friend to no avail. 

“Not again! Please, Mike! Let him stay here with you and Nana. Please, just for a few days, until my rut has passed. I couldn’t bear harming him ever again...-“ The Blonds deep voice almost cracked, as the usually so proud alpha was reduced to a pleading mess, totally focused on getting his point across somehow, despite or even especially because Mike had his own opinion on this. 

“Erwin. Listen.“ Mike sighed deeply.

“What if I hold him down again and force my knot inside him? Have you seen how small he is? He will tear and scream, he’ll hate me forever. I can’t lose him again, not because of my own stupid hormones. He is not in heat, he probably won’t ever be in heat again and I’m about to go into rut. Every ounce of my body screams to claim him and breed him. But the bond won’t stick permanently, it may never will! I’m so afraid that I’ll bite down on his neck over and over, like an animal. That I will hurt him even worse because-“

“Erwin, I swear-“ Mike tried to interrupt him again, but Erwin was so caught up in his own panic, having talked himself into a frenzy. 

Erwins mind was running wild with images of possible scenarios on how he would possibly violate Levi during his rut, if he didn’t get him to safety first. Safety in this case being the den of another alpha, no matter how much he hated that thought. But Mike was the only one able to keep his little Levi safe from his own alpha. The only one strong enough to give Erwin a good fist to the face, if necessary. 

“So please take him in again. He already smells so sweet to me-“

“Yeah, exactly-“ Mike tried, but Erwin interrupted him once more.

“He shouldn’t smell so sweet. I don’t know what else to do-“

“FOR FUCKS SAKE, ERWIN!” Mike suddenly barked and for a brief moment the room went dead silent, even the distant noises of clinking teacups from the other room stopped, as if the two omegas close by had fallen into the same startled pause, Erwin just did.

As he stunned Erwin into silence, Mike stomped over to the door to peek his head out and reassure his wife, that everything was fine and that “The idiot is just a stubborn mess again!”, before shutting the door once more and turning back to Erwin, who was clutching his cup of coffee tighter. 

“You already said it yourself, you blond dumbfuck! He smells sweet. He’s going into heat soon. You two probably triggered each other again.” Mike explained, as he refilled their coffee cups, without offering Erwin neither sugar nor milk, as a subtle gesture, that the other alpha and his spraying pheromones were not very welcomed. “You’re a rational man, Erwin. But the moment Levi is in the mix, some part of your brain dies out pitifully and all you see is worry. If you would have focused more on Levi, instead of on your thoughts, you would have noticed how much he longs to be close to you. Now you won’t let him, because you are afraid, which is a valid thing to feel, but pushing Levi away and not even recognizing that he is close to heat, is hurting him, too. Levi probably doesn’t know about his heat, so the only thing he notices is you getting distant again and the pain of rejection you inflict on him. Because your actions encourage him to think that he isn’t good enough for his alpha.” 

It took Erwin a minute to comprehend what Mike had just explained to him, how he made Levi feel and how blind he had been. Of course his inner alpha had howled at the sweet smell of Levi, but in all honesty Erwin hadn’t thought anything unusual of it, given his omega’s presence alone drove him into a craze most of the time. Even the most abundant things in the world were clouded over as if seen through a set of pink glasses, making red flags appear like usual flags, when he was with Levi.

“He is going into heat?” Erwin whispered, more to himself than directed at Mike, as if he couldn’t believe it. The worry over Levi never going into heat again, the threat of another man ruining his chance to have a future with Levi - a family with Levi, just dissolved itself into nothing more than a nightmare from the past. A smile ghosted over Erwin’s lips and Mike gave him another annoyed look. 

“Quit that scary smile, before you face him again or he will truly run away.” Mike chuckled, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly.

“He is going into heat…” Erwin repeated silently over and over again, as he couldn’t believe his luck, until it dawned him that Levi had been in heat the last time, too, and that hadn’t saved him. Quite the opposite, the smell had intoxicated him and fueled his lust and just before he could start pleading with Mike again, he felt his friend’s big hand on his shoulder, clenching tight. The taller alpha didn’t need to say anything to halt the doubting voice. Levi was in heat. His body was healing from the trauma inflicted upon him. This was everything Erwin had wanted, everything he had hoped for. At least it could be.

"What should I do?" Erwin's voice was gruff with excitement.

"Well, how about you fuck him into the middle of next week, to help deal with your rage? Oh wait, you've been there, done that and got the promotion, right?" Mike sassed, ending it in a booming laugh, while Erwin glared at him.

"You are such a dick sometimes." Erwin growled pissily atthe other alpha.

"I do have one indeed, and so do you. You do remember, how Hanji said his next heat would present differently?" Mike reminded him.

"Yes?" Erwin looked a little bit bewildered, he had indeed forgotten about that fact, but then again Hanji had never elaborated, what to expect, since the experience was different for each omega. 

"Look at them." Mike encouraged, opening the kitchen door to allow them to peer over into the den, where Nana was cuddling Levi under the mountain of blankets. "It's cold outside and Nana is a bit of a freeze ball, that’s also one of the reasons she picked up knitting, but Levi is literally seeking her warmth. Instead of sweating buckets like in a usual heat, he's freezing and seeking touch. He might be a bit clingy, from what you've told me, but not that clingy. He literally latched onto her, the moment you'd stepped through the door." Mike pointed out.

"But what if…" Erwin tried to protest again, Levi's vulnerability hitting a sore cord.

"What if, you keep it in your pants. I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. Just get your head out of your enormous, and very tight ass and read his clues. Your sexual desire will respond accordingly. You will fuck, don't worry about that. But you don't need to be rabbits to bond. Levi will tell you, what he needs, all you need to do is listen to him. Pamper him stupid." The alpha suggested, turning back to his coffee, while Erwin contemplated the proposal.

Mike's laugh had eased a bit of the tension that had fallen over the den and Levi sighed against Nana's chest. 

"Don't worry they are just being stupid dorks." She petted his head soothingly. Erwin’s omega was still a bit strung up, that much she could tell, wondering what was keeping him busy. She could see the thin tell tale film of cold sweat covering Levi's face, but other than that, he seemed more anxious than anything. 

"I'm glad I could come over to give you the house." Levi mumbled, fiddling with the china cup in his hands.

"You are welcome. I already told you that I like it very much. You did a good job on the cookie beard." She praised him.

"I was afraid I couldn't give it to you in time." Levi tried to explain, voice quivering with unleashed emotions.

"Why is that? I'm sure we would have found time to make room for the both of you to stop by." Nana reassured him, hesitant to press the issue, in case Levi was referring to his impending heat.

"It's my birthday coming up. It's a bad day." Levi whispered it to her, like it was a big secret, head turned into the crook of her neck.

"Oh!" Nana didn't know what to say to that. It seemed like Levi didn't want anyone to know about it and suggesting that they could make it to be a beautiful day, seemed kind of wrong. "I do understand." She decided to just acknowledge it. But maybe she could drop a hint to Erwin, instead of drawing attention to it. She was aware that both alpha's were staring at them from the kitchen. "Let me just grab a quick refill and I'll be right back with you darling, maybe those two idiots will even join us." she soothed, scrambling out of the warm nest, to make a quick track to the kitchen. Levi gave a displeased grumble, before sinking back into the spot Nana had just vacated. He was already feeling sleepy again, but he eyeballed Nana’s abandoned knitting supplies, wondering if she would teach him how to do this some time. 

Mike was surprised, as his mate joined them, closing the door behind her momentarily.

She quickly boiled some water, for the next tea, aware of 2 sets of eyes watching her.

"Did something come up?" Mike finally took the plunge, reading his mate instantly.

"You could say that, other than the obvious. Which I can't tell whether or not he's even aware of it." She gave Erwin a bit of a scrutinizing look.

"Don't worry I already shoved him head first in there." Mike assured her.

"I wasn't talking about Erwin's level of awareness. I took that as a given, guess I was wrong after all. Anyway…" she rolled her eyes at both of them, alpha's could be so stupid and thick headed at times. She emptied the hot water into her little teapot, as she continued. "Levi mentioned that his birthday is coming up. He isn't happy about it, but I wasn't sure, if you even knew that." She directed it towards Erwin, who looked surprised, Mike's eyebrows rising as well, while Erwin facepalmed.

"It was noted in his file at the omega house. But we actually never talked about it so far. It sort of slipped my mind or just never came up, really." Erwin felt the need to apologize and justify his knowledge, or lack thereof.

"Well, he isn't too thrilled and he doesn't seem to want a party either. Maybe you could play it cool, be a bit subtle about it." She suggested, draining the tea bags, before she got going again. "Other than that I hope you are finally done, comparing the size of your knots and could actually join us." She mentioned rather loudly, so Levi would hear it too.

Erwin groaned, while Mike cackled, grabbing his cup of coffee to follow his wife.

His friends were horrible people, inconsiderate of his feelings. But then again, Erwin had always been a bit of a worrywart. He followed them out to the den, where Levi lay buried, only a few strands of hair poking out.

He sensed Nana's return, grumbling when she slipped back under the blankets, which in turn invited a puff of chilly air into the cocoon he had created. 

“Oh Levi, did you try to knit?” Nana was surprised to find one of the needles, poking her. “Don’t know how.” the raven yawned, pouting a little. He hoped he hadn’t destroyed all of Nana’s work. 

“I can teach you, how to, next time.” she smiled gently, bopping Levi#s nose in a playful manner. Erwin kneeled down beside him, having had his cup abandoned at the sink, after downing the bitter coffee in one big swallow.

"Are you cold sweety?" He inquired softly.

"Is yours bigger, dickhead?" Levi grumbled back in a bratty tone, shamelessly referring to Nanaba's comment, which got the pair cackling like a bunch of wild hyenas.

"Well, if you say so." He smiled back, ready to take the piss for once, hand ruffling Levi's hair. The omega just snorted.

"How about, we go home, warm you up a bit, before these two over there, plant any more nasty ideas in your head?" Erwin suggested, ready to leave, since Mike made it pretty clear, there was some business to take care off soon. Levi grumbled, rolling closer so his head came to rest against his alpha's shin.

"You promise?" Levi looked up at him expectantly.

"I promise you everything, darling. The moon and the stars even, if you so wished." Erwin crooned, not missing a beat. 

Mike made a gagging noise in the background.

"No hard feelings, but that sounds like a beautiful plan, because a gay unicorn just farted rainbows in here." The other alpha said dryly.

Levi allowed Erwin to pick him up after that, sticking his tongue out at Mike and giving a dazzling smile to Nana. He yawned widely, when Erwin bundled him back up again, and carried him back out to the car, both mumbling a goodbye to them.

The drive back home passed rather uneventfully, since Levi napped through most of it, one hand always within Erwin's reach, as the alpha brought them both back home safely.

When they arrived, Levi was all tired and sleepy already. Erwin had carried him inside, held him close in his arms, all the way up to their apartment and only left his omega’s side to get some tea and dinner for them to share, cuddled up together on the couch, while watching some cheesy Christmas movie. 

Their cookies turned out excellent, some a bit too chocolaty as anticipated, but to Erwin, they tasted like home and according to his taste buds, they couldn’t be any more perfect. The alpha had woken up on the couch, in the middle of the night, his neck aching, because of his weird posture, with Levi sprawled on top of his body, snoring softly. Erwin had carried him to his own bed to sleep for the night. 

When Erwin woke up again in the morning, he felt truly rested, as if he had spent the past few weeks in comfortable leisure, although it had only been a few hours. Waking up with Levi in his arms was a feeling, he was getting used to and not wanted to miss for anything in the world. For a brief second he contemplated waking him up with lazy kisses on the neck, presented right in front of him, but decided against it. There were only so many days they could sleep in together, that they could spend doing nothing at all, spared from all the drama and tragedy outside. 

So he snuggled up to Levi closer, spooning him effectively and pressed himself tighter against the small frame of his mates back. The closeness of their bodies made his skin feel warm and fuzzy all over, the beginning of his rut heating up his blood slowly, a jolt of pleasure hitting him suddenly, as his hips brushed against the taut backside.

“Fuck.” He groaned lowly in frustration, as he inched away from Levi, careful not to wake him, as he stood up to take care of the growing problem in his loins. 

Stroking himself to completion with quick motions, took the edge of his impending libido, but his heavy knot pulsed inside his hand almost angrily, as if to painfully remind him, that his big hands could not replace the tight clench of his mate’s body. After showering and hopefully quenching the stink of his raging pheromones, Erwin returned back to bed and Levi only gave a sleepy mumble, as he pressed a kiss to his neck, like a promise of what was to come soon. 

Even after they finally got up somewhat around noon, having spent the first hours talking in bed about mundane things, just to transfer over to the kitchen to eat and continue talking about everything and nothing at once. Everything felt so nice and simple, but toward the evening Levi started to get restless, as if he was anticipating something, that wasn’t quite happening and Erwin was left to wonder, what his little mate was waiting for. 

He looked a bit disappointed, when Erwin suggested a simple chicken curry with vegetables or soup for dinner, but the alpha couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong with that. It wasn’t like Levi to stuff himself full with food anyway and he thought he was being considerate of his mate’s tastes, as he suggested light meals with vegetables, especially the day before Christmas, where they planned a proper feast with stuffed turkey and even dessert. It was only the 24th December after all.

Erwin felt bad that he couldn’t figure out the reason why Levi was acting so weird all of a sudden, as if he was getting unsure about what he was supposed to do. When Erwin finally asked what he did wrong, Levi mumbled something under his breath and dashed out of the living room, where they had been just about to watch another Christmas movie, leaving Erwin sitting alone on the couch with a baffled expression.

Did Levi notice his situation in the morning and was now getting uncomfortable and flustered around him, scared, that his need for closeness would be an open invitation for the alpha? 

Or was he feeling rejected, that Erwin refused said invitation? 

He hated admitting it, but he was confused and at loss how to behave properly around his mate. Mike hadn’t been a great help either and waiting for Levi to tell him what he wants, was also very unlikely. Staring up at the lights of the enormous Christmas tree, in the corner of the living room, Erwin cursed the timing of his hormones, as he forced himself to not follow Levi, instead waiting for his return and listening to the tiniest noise in the room next by with perked ears. 

Somehow he was getting curious, hearing the faint rumbling distantly, apparently Levi was looking for something and it dawned on Erwin, what Levi was doing, just one second before the omega returned back to the room. Levi’s expression was nervous, as he came back with his arms full, balancing the packaged items for Erwin in his arms and looking almost scared of dropping them, but also determined to not having to go again to retrieve the rest. 

A smile lit up Erwin's face and it took him all of his self-control to not bark out a laugh, at his omega’s flustered expression, that turned a bit sour, as Erwin couldn’t hold in a quiet chuckle. Of course, Levi was anticipating presents the whole day on the 24th and getting confused by Erwin’s nonchalant behavior, continuing even well into the evening.

“Levi, sweetheart...” Erwin began, as he took in the amount of packages the omega was carrying. 

He hadn’t expected any present for Christmas at all from his mate, considering they were together most of the time and he wondered when and how exactly Levi had managed to get him something. It made his heart flutter with fondness, that Levi thought of him and had apparently gone out of his way, just to make him happy, but it was too much and Levi shouldn’t have bothered, since Erwin had anticipated spoiling his sweet boy rotten during Christmas. He hadn’t even taken into account that Levi might have wanted to get him something, too. 

“This is… amazing, honey.” He crooned and offered Levi another smile, who stood in front of him, looking a bit ashamed and confused, thinking that he did something terribly wrong and now his alpha would make fun of him for it. 

“They look very nice and I can’t wait to open them first thing tomorrow morning. How about you put them under the tree already, so I can look forward to them quite literally?” 

Levi huffed out a tiny "Oh!" , as Erwin explained to him, that in the United States you offer up your gifts on December 25th and not the day before, like in France. Listening intently, but still too ashamed, to look into the blue eyes fixated on him, Levi started to pout and proceeded to put the gifts up under their Christmas tree.

“The dinner is also tomorrow.” Erwin ended his brief monologue about American Christmas traditions and Levi actually looked relieved, as if he had feared that Erwin would toss away all of the good expensive food, they had bought, just because he felt more like curry on Christmas eve.

“Unless we decide to just do it in European style, in this case, give me a second-“ A weak push made Erwin fall back onto the couch, as Levi snapped out a stern “No!”, but followed to curl himself up on his lap anyway, as he calmed down from the small misstep he made. 

Embarrassment still tinted his usually pale cheeks a rosy pink and complimented his sour expression, as he made himself comfortable, laying down on his alpha, who reached for the TV remote to start the Christmas movie. When he reached for the blanket, to put it over them, attempting to envelope his omega with it, Levi let out a warning.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” As he noticed that Erwin was about to make an angry sushi roll out of him, yet again.

Levi was a cute sight, when embarrassed and Erwin merrily laughed at his dismissive antics, before snuggling the blanket around both of them tightly.

Levi glared daggers at him, one finger sharply digging into his alpha's chest, as a reprimand.

"I said, No!" Levi argued his case, but didn't kick off the blanket.

"And I'm cold." Erwin whined back resolutely.

"You? Cold? Tsk!" Levi mocked him.

"I am." The alpha argued smugly.

"You being cold, my ass! You can sell this to your mother Erwin. But not me! You are a burning furnace, if anything." Levi bit back, his eyes turning towards the movie they had put on.

"But I am your burning furnace, Mister Iceberg." Erwin sassed back, cuddling Levi closer.

"Urgh just shut it. There's no panic on the Titanic, there's enough water for anyone." Levi smirked at his own dry joke. It didn't sound as funny in English after all, but Erwin laughed anyway, the sound echoing around their living room.

"And I nominate everyone on board for the ice bucket challenge." Erwin snorted, which made Levi laugh so hard, he almost honked.

"Okay you win. That gave me a sinking feeling." His omega giggled, slapping Erwin's chest for emphasis. It hadn't been this carefree for quite some time and Erwin was glad to see Levi laugh so freely, if only for a moment. He had been rather tense and quiet in the past days, so whatever stupid joke worked, it was fine with the alpha.

They settled into the movie afterwards, Erwin's warm body lulling Levi in further. His alpha's scent was getting stronger with each day and Levi tried not to get too depressed about his own lack of body heat. He was freezing all the fucking time and it got rather annoying, so to have Erwin all to himself, like a life sized heating blanket, was amazing.

They got through half of the movie in comfortable silence, before the ad break came on. Levi grumbled, when Erwin left for the kitchen, but he excused himself to the bathroom anyway. 

Lately it was a bit of a hassle, because despite the feeling that he had to go, nothing much happened and 4 times out of 5 he only sat there wiping, because he had slicked into his pants. That was fucking ridiculous and pretty annoying on top of that. It had been the same this morning, when he had woken up to a still slumbering Erwin and found himself grinding his ass back into those delicious hips, thank god the alpha hadn't woken up from his questionable actions. Levi didn't even remember dreaming anything remotely sexual. It was fucked up at best. However this time around he actually had to go, but left the bathroom with even more questions. So he washed his hands, to not leave Erwin waiting for too long and wandered back into the living room, to crawl back under the fluffy gray fleece blanket.

“ERWIN? Did you pick up a new fragrance for the fucking bathroom diffuser?”He called out to his mate in the kitchen.

“I did. Why? Don’t you like the new smell of pine?” his alpha asked, as he returned from the kitchen, laden with a small tray.

“Well, now it smells like someone took a fucking shit in the woods.” his omega snorted, only a tiny bit annoyed, that Erwin had switched their usual Lime scent to something else.

Erwin’s laugh was music to his ears and his dofus of an alpha almost dropped the tray.

The small tray was laden with two big mugs of hot chocolate, topped up with whipped cream and a small dessert plate hidden behind. Levi watched him set it down on the coffee table, his eyes almost popping out of its sockets, as he realized there was a small mini sized cake sitting on that plate, complete with a lit candle in the middle. He looked at Erwin and back to the cake and back to Erwin, who settled down next to him, his muscled arms encircling Levi's small waist, before he lifted his precious omega, back onto his lap with ease.

"Joyeux anniversaire chérie. Happy birthday, darling." the alpha murmured softly, petting Levi's hair affectionately, leaving small kisses over his ear, slack jaw and the entire side of the omega's face, from the temple, to the bow of his eyebrow, down to the cheekbone and juncture of his neck. "It's already past midnight in France. I checked."

Levi didn't know what to say, he wanted to laugh at Erwin for butchering the language. He wanted to hit him, for making him remember, that it was indeed that day coming up. At the same time he wanted to cover his alpha in sweet butterfly kisses for being so observant and caring and just overall lovely. But all he ended up doing, was an inaudible sound of a surprised gurggle, while he opened and closed his mouth like a fish, unable to find his voice. Instead he turned around, threw his arms around Erwin's neck and held on tight. He was pretty sure, there was a sob locked somewhere inside his chest too, but overall he was thankful to his alpha, for paying so much attention to him. Erwin chose not to comment on it or mention the stray tears, he had noticed, lingering in the corners of Levi's eyes.

"Do you want to make a wish, before the candle burns out, my sweet prince?" Levi gave a small nod, turning back around to the coffee table, while Erwin carefully picked up the plate, holding it within his omega's reach. Levi took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut, as he blew out the candle, wishing with all his heart, that he could stay this happy with Erwin forever. He didn't say it out loud, to not sound like a sap, but Erwin didn't ask either. He just set down the plate to cuddle Levi some more, before taking a sip of his own mug of sweet fattening christmas disaster.

"I love you." Levi murmured into the crook of his neck, rubbing his nose along the bite mark, he had left on his alpha.

"I love you more." Erwin replied, pressing a soft kiss into the crown of black hair.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oi, I got some sad news. We only have about 40 pages left until the story ends (>-<)  
A small side note, (I spent 20 years of my life smoking) I haven't smoked at all for 10 months already. I'm still going strong. - Satu

He would have been content to just rest his chin on the head of his omega, for the remainder of the evening and watch another Christmas movie together, but when he felt Levi shuffle onto him and lean up to him, in order to get a real kiss, Erwin couldn’t say no either. Feeling the soft lips of his mate meeting his own, brushing against each other almost shyly for a moment - the alpha was soon to reciprocate the kiss. Erwin pulled the small frame closer to himself, so Levi was now effectively straddling the bigger thighs, his own legs spread to accommodate the broad frame beneath him, before he deepened the kiss. Small moans escaped the omegas mouth, as Erwin slipped his tongue in, the cavern tasting sugary sweet like cocoa. 

His hand subconsciously wandered up, to gently caress his mate’s neck, pulling him in more and more, as he wanted to devour him. They only broke the kiss to get some air, Levi’s breathing was laboured, the small chest rising rapidly up and down, as the omega tried to catch his breath. With his tousled hair and flushed cheeks, his little mate looked fucked out already and Erwin couldn’t wait to see him completely wrecked and blissed out in pleasure. If they would have birthday sex, he would be damned, if he wouldn’t gift Levi the best fucking of his life. His other hand resting on Levi's waist, holding him firmly, as he pressed his own hips up to make his mate feel just how wanted he was. He was grinding the hard length of his cock against the small ass, the friction still dulled by the layers of clothing separating them, but enough to let pleasant shivers run through their bodies, as the sweet smell of slick filled his nostrils. 

“Levi…” he groaned out lowly and got a needy whimper as a reply.

Small fingers already playing with the buttons of his shirt, pulling them open and revealing the muscular chest bit by bit. His own hand was still placed steadily over Levi’s neck, his thumb caressing the short hairs of the undercut, that were tickling his skin softly. The other hand slipped beneath Levi’s pants, teasing the skin beneath the fabric in small circles and wondering briefly why his mate was wearing underwear, underneath his comfortable PJs. The thought was swept away, the second he caught Levi’s lips into another passionate kiss, that was only to be broken by tiny gasps for air and little moans. 

“Levi…” a deep rumble escaped from deep within his chest, in between kisses, but Levi was quick to suffocate him with another brush of his lips, his small tongue licking into his alpha's mouth playfully. He enjoyed seeing his partner getting so worked up just for him. It was amazing how confident Levi was getting in his sexuality and Erwin wanted to see more and more of it, how Levi embraced his body and soul, accepting his desire. 

“Not here.” Erwin was finally able to mutter out, between the clash of their lips. Levi wiggling needily on his lap, making him almost choke on his moans, as the soft buttocks moved over the bulge in his pants. His cock was throbbing painfully by now. 

“I don’t want to fuck you on the couch, on your birthday. You deserve better than this-“

Levi gave him a look that suggested that right now, he couldn’t think of anything ‘better’ than that, but complied nonetheless, as he slipped down from his alpha's lap and stood up on surprisingly steady feet. 

Erwin didn’t need to know, how wobbly his legs felt, like fucking jello, just thinking about, what he was planning to do, made him nervous and excited at the same time. His stomach churning and dancing, as he tried to hold onto his confidence. 

“Playroom it is then.” He crooned out and walked ahead of a stunned looking Erwin, whose eyes were fixated on the subtle swing of his omega's delicate hips. As he couldn’t hear the heavy footsteps of his mate following him eagerly, Levi craned his neck and breathed out a sultry “I’m waiting for you, Sir.” Before disappearing through the bedroom door and entering their hidden playroom. 

Erwin sat on the couch flabbergasted and incredibly turned on, at Levi’s sudden confidence boost. Who would have thought that trying out the playroom together once, would have such a strong effect? In the back of his mind he knew that those boosts of sudden confidence were mostly temporary and fueled by the current circumstances. It could either go extremely well, or extremely badly, the moment the bubble of new found self-confidence bursted. 

Still the alpha couldn’t help himself, but let out a deep growl at his mates feisty demeanor, couldn’t wait to fuck it out of him and reduce him to a mewling mess underneath him, as he exerted his dominance over him. It surprised him how much Levi’s bratty attitude could turn him on and he was challenged to see how much would be left of it, the moment he was held down and had his little hole played with.

The alpha intended to eat him out thoroughly, remembering how much he had loved it during heat – a bittersweet memory he longed to redeem – to have Levi on all fours in front of him, hands cuffed to the bed and his hips held steady by big hands, as he would tease the small ring of muscles mercilessly and drink up every drop of slick his mate had to offer. He would feel the muscle buckle under the intrusion of his fingers, admire how Levi would push his ass out involuntarily, as his arms gave in and he had to press his cheeks into the bedding beneath him, almost presenting like a bitch in heat. Face down, ass up, legs trembling weakly and not able to utter more than pleas, as he was reduced to moans and whimpers of pleasure. Erwin would make Levi feel really, really good. His cock throbbed heavily between his legs just thinking about what he wanted to do to his beloved, as he changed his clothing quietly, trying desperately to get the fly of his pants shut somehow, without ruining his own plans prematurely. 

Levi probably wasn’t expecting him to enter, dressed in his dark blue business suit and was now getting nervous waiting, wondering why his alpha wasn’t following him up immediately like a horny dog. He smirked to himself, as he pulled the leather gloves over his hands. 

“Oy, what the fu-“ the rest of the sentence got stuck in Levi's throat, as Erwin stepped into the room, radiating nothing but dominance and control, the blue eyes burning into gray, as he took in the sight of his mate, dressed in lacy panties, that must have been hidden underneath his PJs, that were long discarded in the corner of the room.

The black lace clung to Levi’s body snugly, enhancing his delicate feature and contrasting the snow white tone of his skin perfectly, where it hugged his waist and bottom. His legs looked even longer and more slender in those stockings. Still Erwin was able to keep his composure, as he appreciated the stunning beauty of his omega, despite feeling his mouth go dry at the sight. The contrast of his leather gloves against the light material of the stockings would be nice, when he would hold open those thighs and he couldn’t wait for Levi to get on the bed, the order almost laying on the tip of his tongue already. 

To his surprise, Levi was quicker, as he stepped up to the dominating figure in front of him, having to crane his neck up almost ridiculously, to look at his mate seductively. He would have to stand on his tiptoes, to even attempt giving the taller man a kiss and seeing their size difference so blatantly again, how slender the omega only dressed in lingerie looked, compared to the fully clothed alpha in front of him, made Erwin lust after his small mate all the more. 

“You always give so much to me, Sir.” The omega purred out, his nimble fingers caressing the dark material of the suit, in a feigned absentminded fashion. Levi seemed so confident in what he was doing, but the slight tremble of his hands betrayed his confident demeanor. “Please gift me the opportunity to give something back to you.” 

It was obvious that Levi had prepared that sentence, well in advance and pondered the choice of his words over and over again. To Erwin, it was almost adorable, how hard Levi tried just for him, since it was his birthday, who was he to tell him no? 

So pushing his own plans of wrecking Levi back for later, he allowed himself to be guided to their bed and sat down on the side of it. His back up straight, with his shoulders pushed back and watched Levi intently, who returned his gaze, before licking his lips and kneeling down on the soft fur in front of the bed, that welcomed his knees in a gentle embrace. The same fur he had been fantasizing about, the last time Erwin had wrecked him in here. 

Oh!

Before Erwin could say anything, figuring that if he asked worriedly “Are you sure about this, sweety?”it would completely ruin the mood. He forced himself to keep his mouth shut and instead enjoyed the feeling of the small hands, caressing down his body, until they reached his thighs. He would trust Levi in his decision to try this with him. After all, they wanted to go at Levi’s pace. His cock twitched in anticipation, as Levi worked on his belt and he spread his legs apart further, to make room for himself, between his muscular thighs. He watched his omega’s small tongue peeking out, wetting his rosy lips, as gray eyes looked up to him again, almost as if he was looking for reassurement. Am I doing this right, Sir? 

Erwin gave a content hum of appreciation and put one hand on the back of Levi’s head, caressing his scalp to comfort and reassure him. Relief flooded through the alpha’s veins, as Levi finally had opened his fly and pulled down the restricting underwear. His massive erection sprang out immediately, bobbing up and down a bit, the mushroom shaped head colored an angry red and already wet with precum. Levi stared at the task at hand and pulled the foreskin back carefully, a big drop of the almost clear substance forming at the tip again, almost immediately. It looked obscene, the fat alpha cock next to the small mouth of his omega in contrast, it would be quite a task at hand – for anyone – to handle. Just the sight sparked arousal in the taller man's blood. He could feel his body heat up and a growl forming in his chest, as he looked down at his omega, in an almost challenging manner.

Maybe Levi would just lick his tip a bit and would give him a hand job? Before he could even wonder about Levi’s intentions any further, his tongue shot out and licked a broad stripe across his erection, all the way from the base, up to the tip. Levi steadied the hard length of his cock at the base with his hands, as he continued his attack, lapping and licking at his alpha's cock enthusiastically.

His eagerness was a pleasant surprise to Erwin, who didn’t even try to stifle his moans, like he usually would do with other partners. He wanted Levi to hear that he was being a good boy for him and encourage him to indulge further, easing the not so well glossed over fear of his brave mate. 

Every lick of Levi’s tongue made pleasure dance through his veins and Levi grew more and more confident, in what he was doing, focusing on the tip and nibbling carefully on it, with just the smallest hint of teeth. A deep growl reverberated in the alpha's chest, as he watched the small tongue work his cockhead, licking up every bit of precum and tasting it. If Levi didn’t like the taste, he didn’t let it show, instead he seemed quite enthusiastic about it, given the little moans and whines, he let out during his ministrations. 

When Erwin couldn’t take the teasing anymore, he tightened his grasp on the small neck a bit, to get Levi’s attention. 

“Take it in your mouth, pet.” He ordered, his voice deep and husky, as he stared down at Levi, who suddenly looked a bit scared. Fixating the gray eyes, his own vision almost dizzy with pleasure and at the same time hyper focused on Levi, he tightened the grip on his neck, in what he hoped, was a reassuring comfort for his omega. His fingers caressed the left over of their bonding mark gently, as he noticed Levi’s expression getting nervous again. 

“Suck it.” he elaborated and after a second of blinking up at the enormous dick in front of him, Levi put the tip into his mouth, sucking weakly on it. Erwin let out a groan at the warm feeling around his cock. The slight suction of Levi’s mouth made his body shudder, as arousal rushed through his veins, his hand clenching on Levi’s neck and moaning out filthy words of appreciation.

“Fuck, so good… hah, deeper… Take me deeper.” 

Erwin let Levi go at his own pace, taking more and more of his cock in at a steady pace, had him soon bobbing up and down on his dick, taking about a third of it in his mouth without choking. The warmth surrounding his cock made the alpha's head feel hazy, sparks of pleasure dancing in his vision at just the thought that it was his Levi doing this to him, it almost drove him crazy. As he felt himself getting close, he pulled his omega off of his cock, to admire the sight of his mate. A string of saliva connecting the swollen red lips, with the throbbing tip of his cock and Levi already looked so wrecked, but still had a gleam of mischief in his eyes, as if he hadn’t tried yet, what he came here to do. After he caught his breath again, Levi leaned down to take Erwin's cock in his mouth again, holding his breath, as he worked on going deeper and taking more and more into his mouth. The moment he was about to choke, he retreated back, but continued to stroke the part, he couldn’t fit in his mouth, with one hand, while the other hand sneaked lower to caress the swollen balls and the beginning of his alpha’s forming thick knot. 

Erwin had to close his eyes for a moment, his head fell back, as the feeling of Levi pleasuring him was growing too much. He wanted to warn Levi, to tell him to slow down a bit, but all that left his mouth, were deep growls of primal pleasure, as he urged his hips to only move slightly. His hands clawed at Levi’s neck, not forcing him down, but holding him in place, as Levi caressed just the right part of his knot, that made his hips buck up violently. His body jerked at the force of arousal that suddenly hit him. 

“Oh fuck, Levi…” the alpha groaned out, as he felt a small nose pressed close against his pubic hair, his hand still on the neck of his mate, as his cock was engulfed completely by the warmth of Levi’s mouth and throat.

The omega tried to swallow desperately around the fat erection, as he clawed at Erwin's thighs, forcing himself not to pull off, as quickly as he could. Tears gathered in the corners of his gray eyes, as he looked up to his alpha, who stared down at him, with a shocked expression, immediately pulling Levi off his cock, who openly started crying, as he gasped for air.

Persuading Erwin to follow him into the playroom had been easy and convincing him to let him have his way, was way easier, then Levi would have thought. When he got down on his knees to please his alpha, Levi had been certain that he could do it. Hange had always told him that the way to get over his fears, would be to confront himself with them.

What use would he be to his alpha, if he couldn't give him head?

It was just a fucking blowjob, for fucks sake. It wasn't that hard and he had practically been drooling and slurping all over his mates dick, during his last heat anyway. So it wasn't even something new.

There was no need to be afraid of it, so he had been psyching himself up for days now, finally finding the confidence to tackle the task, after their last time in the playroom. He had been scared of fucking it up, but this was Erwin and Erwin had needs and always made him feel so special. If he didn't get it over with, he would probably never get over it. 

While Erwin complied, seeming a little surprised, if anything, Levi had gone right for the treat, instead of delaying it any longer, than necessary. While he had been nervous, it seemed way easier, after the initial contact of his tongue, with the throbbing red crown of his alpha's dick. Once swallowed, he didn't even have to look at the huge thing, rather opting to stare up at Erwin's azure eyes, proved to be a nice distraction, from the tangy salty taste of precum in his mouth. This was his Erwin, making the most ridiculous, sexy noises above him, appreciating his effort and clearly well on his way to being blissed out, if the small praise and gentle touches, were anything to go by.

Levi thought that he could manage it, having gotten used to the weight of the heavy cock on his tongue and the way it filled his mouth. He himself wasn't anything close to semi hard, his dick having lost interest in the proceedings the moment Erwin's impressive dick had sprang free and kind of slapped him in the face a little.

But this wasn't about him anyway, he was doing this for Erwin, more than anything. The hardwood floor wasn't very welcoming either, biting into his knees, despite the fur underneath, but it served as a good reminder, as he struggled to fit all of it in his mouth. Levi even welcomed the pain, as he struggled to breathe around Erwin's girth. The air was heavy with his alpha's lust ridden pheromones, the musk even more intensified in the dip of his hips, where Levi currently sat and it made his head dizzy. 

For a second he was sure, it smelled just like the filthy floor of that dumpster shop backroom, but Erwin pulling on his hair, helped him shake off the intrusive thought. This was their playroom. Nothing bad would happen here, but on his next stroke down to engulf the full length of his alpha's cock, it happened again and he was sure he could feel the filthy linoleum flooring, that housed more than just dust and spilled drinks from years ago. He clawed at Erwin's pants instead, trying to concentrate on the fine yarn of his alpha's business suit instead, but the more he concentrated on it, the more it felt like old stiff denim between his fingers, just like Nile's pants had that day. The fisted hand on his neck turning to a vice, rather than a comfort. 

He kept going regardless, maybe if he ignored it, the horrible misleading feelings would go away. He wasn't a batshit crazy person!

He struggled to look up, to confirm that this was Erwin he was pleasing, but the alpha wouldn't let him up, instead his hips jolted forward on their own accord, choking him, pressing the tip of the fat head right down his throat, effectively closing up his air supply and for a second Levi tried to pull away, as panic flooded his brain, but remained right where he was.

'THIS IS ERWIN!' 

'GET YOUR FUCKING SHIT TOGETHER!'

'NILE IS IN PRISON!'

'THIS IS ERWIN!'

He tried to comfort himself, with his nose stuck in the blond curls of Erwin's pubic hair, but his brain had other ideas. There was that filthy floor beneath him, a hairy thigh right next to him and a fist in his hair, while he choked on the alpha's dick, hands suddenly falling away from the knot, they had previously played with, as he was gone. 

He knew he was gone the second that terrible voice echoed in his ear, he had barely managed to suppress a shudder, when Erwin initially had ordered him to "Suck it!"

But now it was ten times worse.

"You know, you still owe me bitch! How about you do your job now, so I might even give you a dollar as compensation for my troubles! Fucking open up and suck it!" There was Nile's voice, quickly followed by Kenny's drawling snark, as the room around him shifted and turned. 

"Look at you, you useless waste of space, you've been made for this. Made for sucking cock. Told you Levi didn't I? That's the only use you will ever have, you stupid omega whore!"

It didn't even matter where he looked, everything was filthy floorboards and rancid old bed linen. 

He couldn't draw a single breath of oxygen down his lungs, no matter how hard he tried. His scalp was burning, there were hands all over, pressing and kneading and locking him in place. Hands on his shoulders, on his back, on his thighs and spreading open his cheeks.

Time had no meaning in this warped space he found himself in. At one point he was sure, he felt a pair of stinky socks pushed down his throat and there was a glimpse of Kenny's visage, way younger, from when Levi was still young, just a child really, before he just had the need to scream, because it hurt so bad, so fucking bad. It felt like his body was on fire, even though he couldn't see, what Kenny was doing, couldn't pinpoint where the pain was coming from, because it was everywhere. 

But then there were Nile's ugly hands holding his face, and his rancid dick hovering over him, making him choke on his own vomit, which in turn prompted one of Kenny's filthy laughs.

"Look at you, fucking bitch, taking dick like you owned it. Never gonna be so tight for anyone else but me! I hope you'll remember each second by the time, someone else pays to use your hole."

"Levi! LEVI! LEVI!" 

There was more shouting in his ringing ears and so much noise, the images slowly falling away to a dimly lit room.

He could hear himself sobbing, but didn't really feel it. It was more like looking down on himself from off to the side, as the voices still kept snickering and calling him nasty things. There was a powder blue dress shirt right in front of him, spanning a wide buffed chest, connecting to broad shoulders. It took quite some time for his brain to register what he was staring at, his hands held firmly by the wrist in front of him, fingers almost turned to claws, the knuckles white from the grip he had on the button linen.

There were little specks of blood under his well kept fingernails, he couldn't recall how they got stuck there. He wondered briefly, his own wailing echoing in his ears, but slowly dying down in volume.

It rattled inside his chest like a caged animal, as Erwin's soft but stern voice reached him again.

"Levi. Are you with me, darling? Please look at me. Really just about anything. You are save baby, there's no one here but me and you.”

It felt like he had been staring off into the blue powdered shirt for forever and he tried to do as Erwin asked, tried to look at him. Was desperate to see his daddy even, but there was a horrible crick in his neck and his throat hurt.

Levi watched his own fingers twitch in response, his throat raw, his tongue feeling heavy and swollen inside his mouth, a lingering salty taste mixed with a rather foul sour one still evident.

He didn't know, that he had violently thrown up, that he had scratched his own throat, as he had been gasping for air, before Erwin had gotten a good grip on him and that he probably looked just as batshit crazy, as he had felt, seizing on the floor against demons only he could see and hear.

He tried to remember what he had been doing, but all he could recall, were the nasty images that had haunted him, making his skin itch.

Bath he needed a bath, he felt so incredibly dirty, there weren't enough words to explain it.

"B… ba… bath?" He stuttered horribly, as the words left his lips.

He needed it. He needed to get rid of the filth caked upon him, scrub away the hands, he still felt lingering. He really really wanted a bath, scalding hot water to burn off his skin.

Erwin knew better than to let Levi bath alone in this state. He had witnessed too often, how he would scratch his skin raw, until he nearly drew blood, when he needed to feel clean again. Needed to feel anything despite the panic rushing through him, again. The alpha somewhat understood, where Levi’s strong reaction was coming from. Levi’s past was a part of his mate, something that might always come back to haunt him, but just the thought, that Nile was still fucking up his mind and messed with his sanity, made Erwins blood boil. He would attempt tearing the skin from his body, when he had to relive Nile’s filthy fingers all over him again and again. 

Now he felt foolish to believe that they could somehow make new memories to rewrite the past. He should have stopped Levi, he should have seen where this was going. God, he even knew that Levi had been pushing himself too harshly just to please him, but still he hadn’t stopped him. 

Guilt was running through his veins, as he carried Levi into the bathroom, carefully checking the water temperature, before settling Levi into the tub. He absolutely refused to leave his side, no matter how much his omega whined to be alone. He would have to clean up the vomit, after Levi had fallen asleep.

“I’m here, baby, I won’t leave you alone.” He crooned, hoping that Levi could hear him amongst the tumult in his head.

The moment he would leave the bathroom, Levi would turn up the water heat, burning his skin in an attempt to wash the dirt off of him. Instead, Erwin discarded his own suit and stepped into the tub behind Levi, enveloping him gently in his arms to just be close to him. He felt the small body in front of him shiver, as the omega broke down into tears, not able to vocalize his pain, but letting it out with screams of anguish, before they died down to shaking sobs. Erwin held him through all of it, mumbling sweet nothings into his ear, just to signal him, that he wasn’t alone. When Levi had calmed down a bit, the alpha took the wash cloth and began to clean Levi gently. 

“I’m sorry, I-“

“It’s okay, sweety.” He hushed his omega, running the cloth all over his body in soothing circles. “Do you feel any better?” 

“Could you turn up the water temperature?” he stuttered.

“No dear, the water is perfectly fine just as it is.” Erwin answered evenly, the water was warm, very warm, almost a bit too hot for his own tastes, but this was as far as he would go, to respect his mates demands. After losing so much fluid and being in a state of panic, he would not risk his mate collapsing in his arms and spending Christmas eve in the ER. 

“No buts and no more apologies, baby. You did nothing wrong.” 

For a while, Levi said nothing in return, letting his alpha shampoo his hair thoroughly, as the big hands massaged his head. 

“I couldn’t even make you cum. Again.” The omega’s sudden statement took Erwin by surprise.

“It doesn’t matter.” He simply replied, focused on cleaning every inch of Levi’s body and occasionally holding his hands still, to stop the small fingers from clawing and scratching the sensitive skin on his arms. 

“I wanted to make you feel good, too. I’m sorry that-“

“You already make me feel amazing every day, sweetheart.”

“You know what I mean...” Levi muttered cowering in the big tub, with his knees drawn up to his chest and rested his chin on his folded up arms, which in turn were resting on his knees. 

With a sigh Erwin put the wash cloth aside, as he cuddled up closer to his mate, the small back pressed against his chest. 

“Yes honey, and I mean it. You don’t have to force yourself to do things that you think will make me content, just because you think that this is how an omega is supposed to pleasure his alpha. I’m not any alpha, I’m your alpha and my biggest turn on is seeing you happy.“ Erwin left out the fact that vomiting over his cock also wasn't one of his kinks, despite how much he liked choking his partners a bit. “There is nothing filthy about you, baby.” He added, as he finished cleaning up Levi and ruffled up his hair for good measure. 

Erwin toweled Levi dry first, before he tended to his own body, wrapping each of them up in fluffy bathing robes. He encouraged his omega to pull on one of his pull ups, just as a precaution. Levi was still a bit shaky, when he sat him down on the couch and left to make tea to rehydrate, also bringing a plate of small snacks, unsure if Levi wanted to eat, but still giving him the option. It was close to midnight, the alpha noticed, as he took a look at the clock, while carrying Mr. Plush and the binky to Levi, offering his mate everything he might need to feel comfortable again. 

“And don’t forget, today is about you anyway.” Erwin smiled at him, as he cuddled up to Levi again, enveloping him with his arms and scent likewise, lulling him into a comforting warmth, as the clock chimed twelve.

The moment Erwin disappeared into the kitchen, was enough to spark Levi's anxiety back to life. He was already way too embarrassed at his stuttering and even though he could orientate himself by now, knowing he was with Erwin, that it was Christmas day and his daddy wasn't mad or disappointed at him at all, did little to ease him back down. Instead he chose to retreat further into himself and left the one sided conversation entirely. He's never been great at conversation anyway. 

It made sense that Erwin put most of the blame on Nile, since he never had met Kenny, the old bastard having passed away long before, due to his drinking problem and general involvement in all things sketchy. He just didn't return home one night, after having pulled his knife on someone, who carried a gun, to Kenny's demise. But despite the shock, Levi was certain his uncle had deserved that bullet.

But even if he had no regrets, he couldn't deny the fact that the encounter with Nile had unraveled things inside him that had been locked away for what felt like centuries. The memories might be blurry, the feelings old and not appropriate, considering the situation they occured in, to pull him back in, but at the same time he wasn't prepared to deal with all the shit, he had never asked for in the first place.

He was so tired of fighting the same old demons over and over. He was an adult now for fucks sake! There was no reason to worry about things that had long passed, things he couldn't change. It would be way better, if his brain stopped looking back at the shit, or at least would shut the hell up about it. Levi didn't know how else to cope with it, so by the time Erwin had settled back in with him, his mind had gone all the way back to the innocence he might have once possessed, before everything turned to dirt down the road. He grabbed for Mr. Plush the moment the rainbow colored fur of the stuffed lama grazed his vision, hugging him close to his chest, wishing he would chase away all the bad feelings. His body was still shaking with left over tremors, even if Erwin took great care in rubbing soothing circles into his tense shoulders and back. The bath had been nice, but not warm enough and he still felt freezing, snuggling deeper into the blanket Erwin had provided.

"You can have some snacks too, if you want." Erwin's voice was a low murmur, echoing down his chest and right into Levi's ear, he actually enjoyed the vibrations. While he felt kind of hungry, he also still felt sick and eating didn’t seem to be a good idea right away. The cookies looked amazing however, the chocolate gleaming in the low light cast by their Christmas tree. Erwin could feel the hesitation radiating from his mate, it was visible in the constipated look, compared with the longing gaze, Levi was throwing in the direction of the plate, clear as day. It might be midnight already, but Erwin had the feeling that this would be a long night to come. Levi was still restless, shifting this way and that, gaze fleeting from the cookie plate, to the TV and back to his alpha's chest again, before settling on the twinkling of the fairy lights and back to the plate again. He was clearly still on edge and agitated, his fingers fidgeting, pulling at his bitten and puffy lips, before knotting back into each other.

Erwin gently pried his fingers away from his mouth.

"I've got something better than that for you, darling." Erwin crooned, swaddling Levi closer. The omega blinked up at him questioningly, trying to get to his lips again, probably trying to bite his nails or something similar. The alpha had picked up on Levi's quietness and the way he was avoiding direct eye contact, the moment he had returned. Erwin was nervous and it probably showed, but he offered up the binky to Levi anyway.

It was a surprise to the omega and he was hesitant at first. What if that was one if Erwin's weird kinks? But the doubt went right out the window as he opened his mouth, allowing Erwin to pop in the binky. The feeling of the silicon end on his tongue first made him even more anxious, seeming familiar to having his mouth filled, but the moment he dared to give it an experimental suck, his eyes almost dropped to half mast at the soothing feeling washing over him. His strung up nerves unraveling with every suck he made, turning his face deeper into Erwin's chest, one hand taking a fistful of Erwin's soft sleeping shirt to hold onto. It was something he hadn't known he needed to unwind from his flashback induced panic, until it was presented to him. It wasn’t the first time Erwin had given him the binky, but they usually kept it stored away for emergencies, that made Levi feel really little.

Erwin kept petting him, crooning softly, while he sipped at his own cup of tea, glad to see Levi relax slowly but surely. Even with his eyes half closed, he seemed exhausted to the bone, probably long due for a nap, but there wasn't any sign of the omega actually falling asleep anytime soon. His breathing was still a little too rapid and uneven, but a small part of the alpha was glad his mate hadn't passed out this time around. There also hadn't occurred any accidents so far, but he would prep the sheets just in case. He couldn't predict the future after all, but he hoped that at least on his birthday Levi would be spared from his nightmares.

The binky was a comfort for the omega's rilled up mind, helping to chase away the snickering voices and dark images. It gradually eased him down, it prevented him from dropping even harder and he really appreciated it. He still didn't feel like talking, but the silence was gradually becoming too deafening, so he gave his daddy's shirt a soft tug, meeting the ocean blue eyes for the first time and pointed over to their TV. Erwin didn't miss a beat, as he gave Levi one of his softest smiles, watching the rhythmic bobbing of the omega's pacifier.

"Do you want me to put a movie on?" Levi tugged once more to agree, slowly shuffling around in his alpha's arms to watch, as Erwin fiddled with the remote and flipped through some of the channels, before opening the browser menu. He scrolled through some of the kid movies on demand, observing Levi's reactions, before ordering and putting on an old czech fairytale movie, Levi had seemed particularly interested in. Erwin had never seen it, but he indulged regardless, just to see the way Levi's eyes had lit up, as he settled into the old european version of Cinderella.

For Erwin the movie had been a tad bit too boring, but he understood why people admired it for its charm with the scenery full of snow. Levi had once mentioned that the snow hadn’t even been planned, but it had been the aspect the movie had gotten famous for. A happy accident so to say. If Erwin had been honest, it wouldn’t have mattered whatever movie Levi decided to watch, as long as it made him happy and put them back in a somewhat festive mood. Given the opportunity the alpha cuddled up to his mate again, holding him close until he felt the little body slump in his arms, indicating that Levi was falling asleep slowly towards the credits. Making sure he wouldn’t wake Levi up, he carried him into his own room to sleep, but couldn’t find it in himself to pry off the small fingers clutching at his shirt for too long. He hurried to clean up the left over disaster in their playroom and climbed back into bed with his omega, following Levi into blissful sleep. 


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end of the story. I assume we have about 5 chapters left, maximum. :(  
Edit: 22nd october, at the start of the chapter we added Levi's birthday present and introduced his service cat. (I had forgotten about it.)

They slept in until noon, the alpha enjoying the calmness around him - not even the usual humming of the AC filling the room, as he finally decided to get up, but let Levi rest for a little longer. He could have cuddled with Levi the whole day, never getting out of bed at all, his rut making him a bit more touchy feely than he was accustomed to. Feeling so handsy was foreign to him, since he never had a mate to share his rut with before, but the need to be close together all the time, as well as the need to provide quickly followed. He was almost in a nesting mood. It certainly felt very domestic to him, to get up ‘early’ to prepare the big Christmas dinner he had planned for them to share. Luckily he had stuck to half-prepared versions, there was no way he could manage a decent roast accompanied with vegetables and dessert, after a lifetime of one pot pasta and frozen pizza. Peeling potatoes in a somewhat orderly fashion was challenging enough, since for himself he never had bothered with the aesthetics of his meal. Now with his omega around, he wanted everything to look perfect and delicious. He didn’t want Levi to think that he was about to MARRY a slob. 

Wait! - Where did this thought come from? 

Erwin halted in his movement of peeling the potato. 

Nevermind! 

Repeating this word over and over, he tried to clear his head again, but the picture of them together with a set of matching golden rings adorning their fingers, smiling brightly with a little one held securely in their arms, once manifested inside of his head, stuck to him. 

They had been close, so close to achieve all this, the alpha thought to himself bitterly. But shoved it away quickly, as he worked on the edges of the potatoes with ridiculous precision, as if peeling the most beautiful potato in the world would somehow heighten his chances at happiness. 

He almost couldn’t wait for the holidays to be over to bust Nile’s ass further, just seeing how much the fucker still affected their lives – how he might always be a shadow lurking in Levi’s mind to haunt him – made his hands itch to pay him a nice visit in prison and execute justice personally. Focusing back on the vegetables he was about to add, since Levi seemed to be fond of them, he cut the carrot into small pieces almost violently. 

“Is everything alright, daddy?”

A timid voice behind him suddenly caught his attention. Levi stood in the door of the kitchen, Mr. Plush dangling from one hand, the binky left behind in his room, eyeing him with a weird look on his face, probably wondering what the poor carrot did to anger his alpha so much. His omega had already showered and changed into some comfy clothes.

“Good morning, sweetheart, everything is fine, I was just lost in thought. Would you prefer more carrots or tomatoes to our roast later?” Erwin asked smoothly with a smile on his face, but cursing internally at himself, as he realized that he had unconsciously waved at Levi with the big kitchen knife still in his hand. Mumbling a swift excuse, he wandered to the refrigerator to get more vegetables to chop up, while Levi sat down on one chair with Mr. Plush now wrapped in his arms. 

“Tomatoes.” Levi responded plainly, as he hugged Mr. Plush tighter to his chest. 

Something seemed to be bothering him, but obviously he was feeling too shy to ask for it. Erwin occupied himself with chopping the tomatoes in little cubes for a while, giving Levi time to voice what was on his mind. When no words came out of Levi’s mouth after quite some time, Erwin turned to look at him, indicating that he noticed, but wouldn’t push any further if he wasn’t up for it. 

“You didn’t kiss me good morning.” Levi finally stated. 

His cheeks were tainted in a lovely pink, as he pouted in feigned hurt. Erwin let out a shocked gasp and clutched his hand over his heart dramatically. 

“Oh honey, forgive me!” he crooned, as he rushed to give Levi a loud smack on the forehead, a chuckle escaping his lips at their theatralic display. 

“You’re a dork.”

“You’re absolutely right, but I’m your dork.” Erwin agreed, before giving his mate a proper kiss good morning, cradling the soft cheeks in his hands. “And I’m a very rude dork apparently. I haven’t even offered you tea yet, darling.” 

“Cocoa, please, with whipped cream like you did yesterday?” Levi’s vice was the softest thing.

“Someone’s feeling decadent today.” the alpha smiled, petting his raven’s hair.

“It’s my birthday and I already said ‘please’, so you have to do what I say, daddy.” Levi reasoned, with a hint of a sufficient smirk ghosting over his features. The sly omega had already figured out that Erwin had a hard time denying him anything, especially on his birthday, figuring that the alpha would of course provide his every wish. Laughing the bratty behavior of his baby boy off, Erwin decided to indulge - . “Within reason, my darling boy.”

Erwin kept a watchful eye on his omega, as he finished prepping their dinner, before washing up and getting Levi's birthday present from the closet, of course his darling boy would get more in the evening, but this one package was solely for his birthday.

Levi's eyes became big as saucers, as Erwin gently put down the red and white striped box on the kitchen counter.

"Daddy!" He almost shocked himself with that exclamation, but there was a shine to his gunmetal eyes that warmed Erwin's heart.

"Happy birthday my love." the alpha was beaming with pride, knowing Levi would be beyond himself, as he helped him unpack the russian tea set that he had gotten for his omega with a collection of different tea blends. With Levi being exhausted the night before, he had post poned the gift giving until now and it was way worth it, because as predicted Levi absolutely loved it. 

"Thank you, thank you so much!" he kept nuzzling and hugging Erwin in gratitude with tears in his eyes, as he admired the expensive china.

The small envelope taped to the side almost went unnoticed.

"Did you get me a card too, silly?" Levi was teasing him gently.

"No, this is your gift from your friends. Nana, Hanji and Mike splurged a little to spoil you." Erwin explained, feeling anxious himself, how Levi would react to the gift itself.

Levi carefully opened the envelope, that had some christmas glitter falling out, as he pulled out the card from his friends to read it eagerly.

"Are you… are you for real?" Surprise and excitement were written all over his face as he looked at his alpha for confirmation.

"Yes! Hanji said you would benefit from having a furry companion and we all pitched in so your service cat would get the best training." Erwin explained carefully. The card held a photo of an orange scotish fold tabby cat with bright blue eyes, with the caption saying "Hello, I'm Maksim and ready to become your best friend. I can't wait to meet you." 

"We can go pick him up after the holidays and you can buy him all the toys and treats you wish." Erwin smiled softly.

"You got me a russian service cat. Oh my god!" Levi started giggling like crazy at the coincidence, allowing his alpha to indulge in more hugs and for him to ruffle Levi's hair affectionately.

"I'm sure you will get along with him." 

Levi thoroughly enjoyed the way Erwin doted on him, but for the first time in a long while, he was getting sick of staying in all the time. He hadn't exactly left the condo, unless he accompanied the alpha to their grocery run or to one of his appointments with either Hanji or the doctors at the omega clinic, which thankfully he hadn't had to do, since meeting Moblit.

Maybe some fresh air would help chase away the restlessness and Erwin's pent up energy, so his mate would stop mutilating innocent vegetables. He seemed surprised, as Levi suggested they should take a stroll in the park, but he didn't deny the offer. 

Levi didn't know what else to suggest, there weren't many places they could go to. Central park was overrun by tourists, the park close to their condo was overrun by dog walkers and Kenny's house was nothing more than a pile of ash by now. Erwin however did know where to go, as there was a small speck of green a few blocks down, closer to Mike's apartment, that would serve as a good distraction. Levi helped him dry the dishes, despite the alpha's protests, before they bundled up against the icy wind outside. Thankfully the forecast had promised sunshine and no rain or snowy slush before 5 p.m. so they had ample time to stretch their legs.

There was no hurry whatsoever, so they took their sweet time, walking all the way down to the park in companionable silence. Levi had left Mr. Plush back home, tucked away safely in his bed. He clung to Erwin's gloved hand tightly, as they made their way through the throng of late Christmas shoppers, exasperated housewives, rushing to pick up forgotten ingredients at the last minute and others. Enduring so many people buzzing all around him still peaked Levi’s anxiety. Erwin asked him halfway at a red light, if he rather wanted to turn back around, but Levi was determined. He wanted to do this and he would fucking do it! He could do this, he could handle some stupid fuckers out and about on big apple's streets.

When they finally reached their destination, with snow softly crunching underfoot from the night prior, the crowd thinned out dramatically, which in turn eased the omega's nerves drastically.

The sound of the busy streets got swallowed up by the trees surrounding them, the wood keeping most of the rush out, despite their naked branches swaying in the wind. Levi didn't let go of Erwin's hand, but his grip lessened the further they walked, slowly circling the ingrained path, the wind biting at their exposed skin, turning their cheeks a rosy red. The more Levi relaxed, the more he could feel his mind clearing up with every step he took, the fresh air rushing through his nose, biting down his throat to settle in his lungs, making him feel more alive and more like himself. They didn't need to chat, even prefered to just be and chase their own thoughts. Erwin was considerate enough to take small steps, to adjust to Levi's pace and smaller stride, as they rounded the lake nestled into the middle of the park. There weren't many people they crossed paths with, some elderly couples, a pair of brave joggers making their rounds and only three dog walkers in total, was all they had encountered so far.

Levi stopped at one of the benches settled along the partly frozen lake, dusting off the stray snow, but before he could sit down, Erwin had taken the seat and pulled his omega into his lap, to prevent him from freezing onto the bench. Levi chuckled at his alpha's antics, but settled, leaning his head onto Erwin's shoulder, gazing out across the small pieces of ice, floating across the lake's surface. It was so peaceful here in the middle of the park, away from the busy streets, honking cars and peasant chit chatter. His breath was forming warm dusty clouds in the freezing air, as he cuddled into Erwin wordlessly, letting his alpha hold him close. 

For the first time ever Levi didn't necessarily feel like he was split apart, between being an omega and being himself. He realized that after all the shit he's been through with Erwin, it had changed him as a person. He was no longer half and half, way out of his mind, a clutter of china chards, ready to fall apart, only held up by cheap 5 cent glue. He was more now, he was the finest japanese pottery held together with gold - a kintsugi - he was a person. 

That realisation almost made him cry, because that was all he had ever wanted, to be someone, somebody. He might be an omega, he might be a bit broken or at least cracked in places, but he was still a person! He was Levi fucking Ackerman and he was Erwin's mate. He still did not feel good enough, but he was enough for Erwin and the alpha never got tired of telling him that he as his omega meant the world to him.

"I love you." Levi whispered softly into Erwin's nape, clinging to his alpha's scent.

"I love you more, darling." Erwin whispered back, rubbing his icy nose along their shattered bonding mark.

"Will you always be there? With me? No matter what?" Levi murmured.

"My home is where you are. I'll never leave you, I promised you that. I have no intentions of going anywhere or ever leaving, sweetheart." his alpha replied swiftly, one hand resting on the small of Levi's back.

"Forever?" he inquired.

"Forever." Erwin reaffirmed, pressing a soft kiss to Levi's forehead. He didn't comment on the fact, that his mate was slowly turning into an icicle, but he also didn't want Levi to get sick, on his birthday no less, so he suggested they should take a rest at one of the waffle houses hidden at the edge of the park by some pines, to have some hot tea, to warm back up, before making their way back home. The idea made Levi smile so bright, it almost turned the sun to shame. After all they had been out and about for almost 3 hours now, just relaxing at the lake lost in thought and some occasional smalltalk.

A warm syrupy smell enveloped them the moment they opened the door to the waffle house. To Erwins relief there weren’t too many people inside that might startle Levi. He had noticed how uneasy his mate had gotten in the midst of all those busy people running around, until they had reached the park and he had half the mind to just turn around and suggest making waffles themselves, if the place had been too packed. Apparently he had worried over nothing yet again. 

Levi looked around curiously, taking in his surroundings as they waited in line with only a few people up front of them, none of which were familiar. The gray eyes were widened in wonder at the details the place was filled with. From the small light chains illuminating the room in warm light, to the cozy pillows packed around on some sitting benches to the side. Pictures of baking goods drawn in retro style and chalk boards that showed off the menu covered the walls and given the far too grande selection, the alpha decided to spice up his usual milk coffee with just a splash of caramel, given the festive occasion.

“What do you want, honey?” Erwin leaned down a bit to ask Levi quietly. 

“Tea.” Levi replied, as he studied the chalk board with what must be thirty different selections of tea written on it intently. He was clearly overwhelmed by it and got more and more nervous the shorter the line in front of them cut. 

“Earl Grey.” He finally added, as they only had two people left up front, before it would be their turn. Choosing something familiar seemed safe and Levi eyed his alpha with a look that clearly said “You’re placing the order.”.

Suddenly a sharp breeze of icy wind hit Erwin’s back, as the shop's door was opened again and a small group of people, probably in their early twenties, entered the waffle house, arguing loudly in a joking manner. 

“Are you a sissy or what?” the tallest of the group of men bellowed and slapped a guy with messy brown hair playfully across the shoulder. 

“Huh?! What are you talking about? We all know that double chocolate is the best waffle in the house. You’re just afraid you can’t handle it, fatass!” the man snarked back and Erwin couldn’t help but think he seemed familiar, as if he had seen him before, if only briefly. 

“Oh please, I could eat at least ten more than you!” the other barked back and puffed his broad chest out. Both of the young men were obviously alpha’s, accompanied by a few beta’s, which eyed the spectacle with tired eyes, as if they had to suffer through that the whole day. 

“You wish, asshole!”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Huh?!” 

“Guys, guys, tone it down.” One rather tall man mumbled, seeming distressed and nervous and Erwin was surprised to smell… another omega? He noticed him looking at Levi with a weird look, unsure if he should say something, but kept it quiet. 

“Yeah, tone it down, Yeager.” One of the beta’s hollered at the brown haired man. He remembered Erwin idly of a horse.

“Oh shut up, horseface.” Yeager boomed back at him and suddenly the formerly brawling alpha’s seemed to share a sense of companionship as the other one added. “Why the fuck is he even here, man!” 

“Dunno.” 

The argument died out the moment they noticed that they had gained the attention of the entire shop and the barista was giving them a warning look.

‘Ah, to be young again’. Erwin thought wistfully, as he considered the immature display with a mild smile, as he remembered his old antics with Mike and Nile. 

Wait.

Nile. Of course fucking Nile and Yeager as in Zeke Yeager?

And just as the brown haired boy turned around a bit and saw him standing there with Levi, too, striking green eyes meeting his own. Erwin suddenly knew why exactly the man seemed so familiar. He had been in the dingy corner store, as the incident with Nile happened. He was the teen, who had left instead of saving his supposed partner in crime’s ass. 

So the other guys must be… Titans? Possibly.

Erwin had to admit that considering what he had heard, he had expected something else. A small whimper in front of him caught his attention, making him aware, that Levi was suddenly tugging at the hem of his coat, looking scared as fuck. He seemed not sure if he should be more afraid of Yeager and his gang or the friendly barista that appeared to try to pry an order from the little omega, for quite a while now. She was practically hanging over the counter asking Levi in a sweet voice what he and his alpha would like to have, recommending all sorts of beverages and cakes hoping to help the little guy in front of her. 

Erwin had to give the girl – her name tag read ‘Sasha Blouse’ – some credit for her stubborn kindness. Although she was scaring the shit out of his mate with her enthusiasm for food. 

A faint “Oh!” left Levis' mouth, as he looked beside his alpha and recognized Yeager standing there. The way the two of them were staring at each other spoke volumes Erwin did not quite understand, but he couldn’t help a possessive growl leaving his throat, as he instinctively shielded his omega with his body, hiding Levi behind his broad frame. 

“Easy, easy, big guy.” Yeager offered his hands palm up, showing that he wasn’t there to make trouble. “We just want some waffles, but fancy meeting you two here. Merry Christmas and all that shit.”

Erwin huffed back a “Merry Christmas.” and decided to leave it at that, not wanting to ruin his Christmas with THIS again, as he turned to order their beverages and leave. 

“And a waffle for them. Double chocolate.” Eren almost yelled over Erwin’s shoulder. “Trust me, it’s the best. Anything to get you to stay a minute longer.” The young alpha explained with a cheeky grin. So he wouldn’t let them get off the hook so easily. 

“We don’t want a fucking waffle, Eren. So what's your fucking deal?” Levi suddenly snapped, startling both alpha’s, sending a deep scowl in the gang member’s direction.

“Ah yeah, not so fond of chocolate, I’ll remember. Anyway, got a message from the boss for you.” Eren went on, unbothered by the omega’s Fuck-off-and-die attitude.

A shudder rippled through Erwin’s body, as he felt every inch of him getting ready to fight, depending on the contents of said message. The way Eren leaned in closer and lowered his voice had him on edge, the only thing that prevented him from pushing the other alpha away was the suspense tickling inside him and the curiosity written on his omega’s face. 

“He told me to say thanks for the Mona Lisa.”

While Levi had been frightened by Sasha's obvious display of food love and the prospect of social interaction with a total stranger no less, Yeager wasn't as scary.

Of course he associated bad memories with the Titan, that he tried really hard not to think about right at that exact moment, but just the obnoxious behaviour of the teen was enough to stir up his undiluted anger, as well as feed into his paranoia. He wasn't afraid of a stupid Titan, even without Farlan's boys for back up. He usually avoided mingling with them in the first place, so Eren had only half a foot to stand on, but his message left Levi speechless for a few seconds. 

How dare he bring this shit up in public no less, was he fucking crazy? 

Was he trying to get him arrested right on the spot?

"I don't know what the fucking shit you're talking about and frankly I don't give a rats ass, brat!" Levi snarled back venomously. He would deny everything, until the day he'd hit the grave. Nile wouldn't fuck him over with such childish games. 

It was true that Levi had stolen the famous Da Vinci painting, but he didn't know shit about Farlan's clients and he had never asked. The more you know in this line of business, the sooner you die, every moron knew that by hand. However that horse faced bastard didn't seem to know who Levi was and Erwin in turn had stiffened up next to him.

"How dare you talk to him like that, you fucking midget!" the beta snarled, stepping closer, while Levi took a step away from his alpha. Erwin was looking ready to pop a vein, but he didn't know how to deal with these thugs. Levi touched Erwin's thigh in a calming gesture, as he stepped past his alpha. Eren if anything was still smirking, not showing any signs of being offended at all, the blondie next to him seemed just as amused and the dark haired idiot just gave him a look of pure confusion, that translated right into: You got a death wish?

"Your mouth is obviously equally as wide as a horse, you fuckwit even got the brains and look to go with it. If you call me a midget one more time, I'm gonna wipe the floor with your desperate attention seeking ass. So go fuck yourself, horseface!" Levi could have said even more, but this was already getting boring. The Yeager kid tried to hold back his laughter, the rest of the room was waiting with bated breath, as Jean exploded and went straight into swinging his fist, but before he could even get close, or trigger Erwin's protectiveness, he was face down on the tiles, with his nose bleeding like a faucet. Levi had grabbed his arm, twisted and pulled a little, before ramming his knee right into that bastard's face, with a precision of years of experience.

The barista and Erwin inhaled sharply, Yeager's gang looked startled, while the horseface was whimpering in pain on the floor.

Levi stepped over him gracefully, looking back at his alpha all sickeningly sweet.

"I would very much like to eat my compensation waffle and drink my tea in peace now. Are you coming?" he started walking to one of the back end tables, while Erwin followed hot on his heels. The rest of Yeager's gang was in stitches of laughter, while the Titan just smirked and gave a respectful nod towards the bonded pair.

"You should know to never fuck with an Ackerman! Next thing you know, you might wake up with your throat cut and bleeding out. Didn't your momma tell you about the bad ripper?" Eren snickered, before apologizing thoroughly for the commotion they'd caused, tipping Sasha triple the usual amount. 

Levi watched the display with disdain and a full resting bitch face, but the Titans did indeed leave them alone. He tried to ignore the reference to Kenny's reputation and instead concentrated on the chocolate flavor melting in his mouth and the burst of citrus and bergamot from his tea. He would have never thought to get caught up with the Titans, the Da Vinci was a job like any other and a part of him loved the thrill, but just the realisation, for whom he had stolen the painting, was enough to put him off of his old job for good.

Erwin thankfully didn't comment on any of it so far, but they left shortly after they had finished. 

The walk back home went by fairly quick, but allowed Levi to drop the tension in his muscles. Would he have been carrying his knife, like he used to back in the days, that horseface would have been gutted on the spot and left to slowly bleed out for ruining his perfect afternoon. The snotty brat deserved all he got.

That was intense. 

Erwin couldn’t shake off that wonder about his mate, somewhat concerned that he was even so good at fighting, if it came down to it. Almost like it was second nature to him and regarding everything he had gone through, it shouldn’t have been surprising, that with the horseface being a beta, Levi at least didn’t feel any pull to obey. But seeing his mate switch from little boy to humanities strongest in less than two seconds flat startled Erwin and actually scared him for a moment. He was overwhelmed and in awe, he didn’t know if he should comment on what had just happened, but refrained from it. All he wanted had been some tea and a peaceful Christmas, who would have known that going on a walk could be this eventful?

For the rest of the evening he just wanted to have peace of mind, so having dinner and cuddling up with Levi would do nicely. Levi walked just a bit ahead of him, filled with pride and still a bit pent up from the rush of adrenaline and Erwin just followed him back to the apartment, enjoying to see Levi vibrating with energy.

“Should we put the roast in the oven, hun?” Erwin asked, as he followed Levi into the kitchen after he had hung up his coat. 

“Seriously, we just had a waffle.” Levi replied, as he put the kettle on to make tea. “And you ate most of it. You’re gonna get a dad bod, daddy.” He added teasingly. 

“The roast will need over 2 hours in the oven, darling.” Erwin explained, pouting a bit at the comment. It was true that he always put on a few pounds extra around Christmas, only to go to the gym obsessively after New Years, like every other decent person ought to. Disregarding Levi’s objections, Erwin put the roast into the oven and when it was time to serve, Levi’s growling stomach betrayed his former complaints.

Although the omega tried to look unimpressed, it was obvious that he never had a proper Christmas dinner before, which was actually the only reason that Erwin put any effort into it all, instead of just feasting on a frozen pizza or some take away, washed down with a cup of late night coffee. After all he never felt that festive before, especially on Christmas eve, which he used to spend by himself. He only visited Mike and Hanji on the days leading up to New Years, when all the ‘family stuff’ was over and done with. 

They ate in peaceful silence, only little hums of appreciation and the clinking of cutlery disrupting the quiet Christmas carols playing on the radio, as they used the dining table, covered in one of Erwin’s finest linen cloth for the occasion. Levi had piled his plate full of vegetables, but refused to back down, although it was obvious that he had set himself up to an impossible task. When Erwin offered dessert, Levi let out a pitiful whine.

“I’m about to burst. I look like I’m three months pregnant or something.” As he stuck out his stomach to present the issue at hand, Erwin let out a chuckle in response. The alpha ignored the pang of pain and guilt in his chest, and instead reached out to pat the bump affectionately, before tending to his dessert. In between taking bites, he noticed that Levi’s eyes kept darting nervously into the direction of the Christmas tree. He was probably wondering if now was the proper time for the gift exchange, or when else to do it, given yesterday he had seemed so excited about it.

In that case Levi wasn’t difficult to read at all and the second Erwin suggested heading over, his mate was moving like a whirlwind through the kitchen to load all the dishes into the dishwasher and place the remaining food into the refrigerator, before dashing back to the open living room. Order seemed to be absolutely necessary even on Christmas, right before the gift exchange. Erwin picked up a blanket and Mr. Plush and followed Levi into the living room with a small smile on his face. 

The room was illuminated by warm lights, the Christmas tree with the presents stacked up underneath was the main focus of the room. The air was filled with the smell of cinnamon and the sound of quiet Christmas carols coming from the radio. Levi was crouched before the Christmas tree and set up the presents he had gotten for his mate in a specific order, in which he obviously expected his alpha to open them. They were all packaged in dark blue wrapping paper covered with small golden stars imprinted on it and Erwin couldn’t help but wonder, how had he managed to sneak all of it inside without him noticing? Nanaba must have helped, he figured. 

Levi waited patiently until Erwin had spread out the blanket and settled down too, scooting closer to hand him the first present. 

“I’m not sure if you already have one of these and maybe all of it is complete bullshit you don’t need, but-“ he rambled, as Erwin very carefully unraveled the wrapping of his gift and the smaller ones, that it came along with. Levi obviously had put much effort into making it look like a small army of gifts, having wrapped each accompanying item in itself.

“This is beautiful, darling.” Erwin interrupted him earnestly, as he turned the beautiful metallic blue green desk organizer in his hands, before regarding the matching ball pen and post-it notes it came with. “This is very considerate of you. Thank you, I look forward to using it every day.” Levi’s cheeks flushed red as he mumbled something about “It’s just office stuff.”, but Erwin didn’t falter and pulled Levi into a hug to show him his appreciation. 

“No, it’s actually really attentive of you. Now I have something that I can look at, when I’m stuck in the office all day and just looking at it will remind me of you. Aside from that, you have really good taste, it’s stunning. Very elegant.” the alpha praised.

“Thought it would match your eyes and your favorite suit.” Levi said shily, still flustered from the positive feedback. 

Although Erwin refrained from mentioning, that it looked quite expensive. He hoped it hadn’t blown a deep hole into Levi’s budget. He would feel bad about it, so he decided to not mention it. Levi had picked it out for him, because he wanted to make him happy and thought it would suit him. Mission accomplished, so why should he spoil it. 

Erwin was just about to shift his attention to presenting his own presents to Levi, feeling like an inconsiderate dork, despite putting a lot of consideration into what Levi might like, when he felt a small hand on his chest preventing him from leaning forward. 

“I got one more.” Levi said and held out a rather large box in front of him wrapped in the same paper as the others. “I- uh… I thought… urgh, just see for yourself.” He stuttered, before looking away totally flustered, as if he was almost afraid that Erwin would make fun of him for something he really adored.

So Erwin’s suspense peaked as he opened the box to come face to face with a smaller box hidden inside and a huge glass container, his brows furrowed in concentration, as he pulled out something that looked like a small single seeded greenhouse for children. Okay, he would have never expected something like that and he must have eyed it with a weird look given his surprise. Levi watched his reaction with a sad look on his face that almost broke Erwin’s heart. 

“It’s stupid… I knew it.” Levi muttered, as he moved to get up, but Erwin caught his hand swiftly, pulling him back down gently. “No no, I’m sure it isn’t. I just don’t understand what it is. Is it what I think it is from the looks?” Erwin said quickly, his eyes switching between the greenhouse and Levi. He wanted to read the description, but was afraid to avert his eyes from Levi for a second .”Let me just read the description, sweetheart.” He regarded Levi with a soft look, before giving his attention to the small text on the box. He hadn’t even read the first sentence, indeed confirming that it was a single seeded greenhouse for children, when a small voice interrupted the quiet music in the background. 

“It’s one of those greenhouses for children. I thought we could try to grow the roses together and then put them into the glass container and create eternity roses from them. I thought it would be cute, but it’s actually cheesy as fuck and embarrassing that I even thought you might-“

“You’re right, it’s cheesy.” Erwin interrupted him, acting in a stern voice, before breaking out in a bright smile, which made his blue eyes shine. “It’s cheesy and childish and adorable and I absolutely want to try growing them! They might be the first plants that survive in my apartment. I really want them to survive and turn into a set of forever roses.” 

Before Levi could argue that he was only pretending to like it, he pulled Levi in for another hug, holding him tight and gave him a sweet kiss as thanks, before nuzzling his neck, until the omega couldn’t help but break out in laughter, too. 

“It tickles…” he almost squealed out and the alpha only let up when Levi was out of breath, stroking the black strands of hair out of his mate’s face fondly. 

“Thank you, baby. But the best gift will always be having you here with me tonight.” He crooned.

With that Erwin pressed another kiss onto Levi’s forehead, before leaning forwards to reach for one of the boxes he had prepared for Levi. He had chosen pearly white wrapping with silver stars, but in between the small heap of white packages were sitting two different colored boxes. 

“Those are from Mike and Nana.” He explained, gesturing over to them and it wasn’t hard to guess, which was from whom. One packaging was very neat and the other looked like a child had wrapped it - or someone with too big fingers to handle the delicate wrapping.

Levi could feel what might be inside the first one, even before opening it and his suspicions were right, when he held another pair of fluffy knitted socks in his hands obviously handmade by Nanaba herself, accompanied by 2 rolls of rainbow colored knitting wool and a set of different sized knitting needles. Nana had promised to teach after all. The other package felt very solid, not fluffy at all and Erwin couldn’t help the slightly offended expression on his face, as Levi unpacked Mike’s gift and eyed the can in his hands. 

“Pepper spray?” he chuckled, when he saw his alpha’s sour face. ‘For wild animals’ the label read. Erwin shuffled to the side in feigned hurt and fear, until Levi had put it away and gestured to him to come closer again. 

“Quite neat.” Levi stated, as he held one of the white packaged boxes in his hands and Erwin was internally swooning, that Levi noticed the effort he had put into wrapping the gift. He would have been too embarrassed to admit that he had spent hours over hours practicing wrapping gifts, before calling up Nana for help under the disguise of being at work. Wrapping gifts was hard labor after all, but Levi noticing it, was worth every minute of trial and error. 

Erwin had bought a nightstand lamp for Levi’s room, but one of those you could change the colors of. You could either set one of the colors manually, be it blue or pink or any other color of the rainbow, or you could make it pass over the colors automatically. He also chose a few different motives of night lights for small children to illuminate the room faintly. Hanji had mentioned that it also might help omega’s feel a little safer, upon finding one looking a bit like Mr. Plush, Erwin couldn’t resist the idea.

When Levi finally held the white knitted pullover in his hands that Erwin had only bought, because it felt incredibly soft on his fingers, he raised an eyebrow, before putting it on over his clothes immediately. As expected it was far too big on the omega, almost swallowing his skinny frame, but he looked incredibly cute in it, almost like a small kitten in a heap of pullovers. 

“My adorable little boy.” Erwin crooned, as he couldn’t keep his fingers away from the soft material. 

“You only bought this as an excuse to paw at me.” Levi mocked him and Erwin agreed without any shame. 

Reaching the last box that had little packaged boxes dangling from it, it was finally Levi’s turn to look at his alpha a bit weirdly when he unpacked a flask of scent canceller. 

“Continue, sweetheart.” Erwin encouraged him, undisturbed by the look edged on his omega’s face. Inside the other small boxes were various flasks filled with scented oils. Lavender for calming the nerves, rose just because he liked the smell and some Christmas edition that smelled like cinnamon and fresh pine. The big box contained an illuminated scent dispenser, which could also change the colors of its light, matching the lamp perfectly.

“Just in case it gets too much.” Erwin commented, as he gestured to his scent gland. 

So close to his rut he was spraying pheromones left and right and he figured that having scent canceller and some nice smells to help cover it up, would make Levi feel a bit more safe. He had bought it for him before he knew that Levi was also going into heat, but considering that it was still uncertain how his heat would manifest, Erwin was glad that he thought of that precaution. Aside from that, it also looked very nice and homely. 

“And you call me considerate.” Levi teased, as he put the gifts away and shuffled closer to also give Erwin a thank you hug and kiss. “Those are very nice, thank you, daddy.” 

“You’re welcome, sweet boy. Let’s just agree that we are both very considerate gift givers.” Erwin replied and returned the hug, breathing in the sweet smell of his mate. His eyes fell on the small greenhouse and he wondered if Levi was up to watching The Beauty and the Beast instead of yet another cheesy Christmas adventure this evening.

Levi had no complaints about the Disney movie, he enjoyed it quite a bit, even the more dark scenes, when the Beast and Gaston were fighting on the top of the roof. On some level he felt like he could connect to the character of Belle. He himself had felt like a prisoner at first, when he'd arrived, but couldn't help but fell in love with Erwin anyway. But other than that Mrs. Potts and Chip were way much more appealing. His inner omega felt more like Chip, to Erwin. While his alpha clearly wasn't a plumb old lady, he was just as caring, while Levi was more than a little chipped at the edges. Still Erwin didn't mind at all. Levi couldn't help but fall asleep, when the credits were rolling, cuddled up in Erwin's arms, who was smiling down at him. Today had been an exhausting day after all. 

Erwin gently carried him to bed, without rousing his omega, tucked him in with Mr. Plush, before getting ready for bed himself. Levi seemed happy after all that was all that mattered to him. The encounter with Yeager hadn't rattled him as much as Erwin had feared it would, so he chalked it up as a good sign that Levi was indeed moving on from the traumatic event and getting better with each passing day.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people don't read notes,but this time please do.  
PLEASE READ THIS!  
I deleted the notice for a special reason, despite not being out of the woods yet. 2020 very much so hit the fan for me recently healthwise. But me and Skoene realised, IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR! since we started posting this story and thus rewards an update.   
While I am still in hospital recovering and can't edit or update further, we can present you this small token of our stock pile.   
Thanks to everybody for the well wishes, I really appreciate this from the bottom of my heart. (the culprit of all the trouble)   
I hope to read from you all soon, once you finished this chapter, which hopefully will leave you smiling.  
lot's of love - Satu

Erwin was the first one up the next day, an early bird rising from sleep at 7 a.m. sharp on the dot, while Levi was still fast asleep next to him, having cocooned all the blankets around himself during the night. Even now buried in there, he seemed a little freezing to the touch, so Erwin switched off the AC and dialed up the heat a bit. He himself was running too hot, one of many signs of his approaching rut, but he'd rather sweat buckets, instead of having his mate freeze. He got ready for the day, letting Levi sleep in as much as he liked, even if it pained him to leave his side. But he really needed a shower, his damn dick needed attention and there were still menial tasks to be done, like picking up the mail, throwing out the trash and making breakfast, among other things.

He was sorting through the mail by 9 a.m., with Levi still out snoozing and he couldn't help but worry. Among some of his colleagues Christmas gift cards, some bills and other paperwork was a brown small envelope addressed to Levi. If this in itself wasn't unusual, then the missing stamp and sender address was enough to make the alpha frown. While he had vowed to not betray his omega's trust ever again, the contents of the mail were unknown to him and he had the strong urge to open and check it over, before giving it to his mate. What if Marie had written him a letter out of spite, or Nile was trying to get in contact with him from prison to threaten him?

Erwin wanted to protect him, he had to, but he had a promise to keep to his mate. 

Maybe this was reason enough to wake his sleeping beauty. He put some of the breakfast on a tray and carried it over to Levi's bedroom, along with the envelope, he was almost crushing in his hands, wrinkling the paper from the sheer force of his grip.

The heat of the room made him sweat instantly, but it was endurable, if it meant he could stay with Levi. Neither of them knew how his heat would present this time around. He put the tray down on the nightstand, before quickly getting Levi's contraception pills from the bathroom, so he wouldn't forget to take his prescription. As much as Erwin wanted another pup again, it would be way too soon, after everything that had happened to his omega, and another pregnancy right away, would probably swallow all that was left of his mate and leave him with nothing more than a shell of a man.

Erwin climbed up on the bed, gently running his fingers through the ravens' hair to rouse him. Levi mewled at his touch, slowly blinking up at him with heavy lids.

"Good morning sunshine." Erwin crooned, scratching Levi's nape softly. The omega grumbled something inaudible, turning his head into the pillow. He didn't want to open his eyes and fully wake up.

"No ughh." Levi protested meekly.

"I made breakfast." His mate bargained. Levi gave him a stinky side eye, that fucker probably knew he was hungry, but it was so cold he just wanted to drag his alpha under the blankets and wrap himself all around him. But denying food wasn't an option.

"It's cold!" He muttered, which in turn finally got Erwin moving. He slipped into his blanket cocoon, settling Levi on his chest. 

"Fucking oven!" Levi mumbled, rubbing his face into Erwin's chest contently and sucking up all the extra heat his alpha produced.

"I love you too, babe." His alpha chuckled, messing up his hair.

"How about breakfast now?" Erwin sounded a little strained in his offer.

"Is it more than breakfast?" Levi purred, rubbing himself up against his alpha.

"Well I wouldn't complain, but that's not what I was referring to." Erwin was gritting his teeth, trying to think unsexy thoughts, so he wouldn't present Levi a tent in his pants in lieux of the actual food, waiting on the nightstand.

Erwin held Levi in his arms, small back pressed against his broad chest, and fed him spoon after spoon a bit of the porridge. He felt a bit tense, but watching his mate eat so peacefully, eased his nerves somewhat. Levi had always been a slow eater and today wasn’t any different. Every now and then he stopped between bites and got distracted by the presence of his alpha, subconsciously shuffling closer, while he made content mewling noises. His heat must be close and if it made him a bit clingy and cuddly. Well, Erwin wasn’t one to complain. 

“What did the envelope do to you? Shitty salary statement?” Levi mentioned between chewing mouthfuls of porridge and gesturing vaguely with one hand in the direction of the wrinkled envelope, that was still laying on the nightstand. 

Erwin felt his body tense at Levi’s words. He would have wanted to address that after Levi had finished breakfast, since he got an uneasy feeling about the matter. A weird envelope addressed to his mate couldn’t mean anything good, especially since Mike and Nana had already delivered their presents and he couldn’t believe that Hanji would do something like that, as they were probably considerate enough to foresee the couple’s reaction. Still Erwin decided that beating around the bush would not save him now either. 

“Actually, it’s for you. There isn’t any sender on it, so I got a bit startled, hence the envelope’s appearance. Since it is yours, I didn’t open it.” Erwin explained, trying his best to give his voice a calm tone, but a slight edge in his tone remained, giving away how uneasy the letter made him feel. 

Levi sat the bowl of porridge down in between his legs to open the envelope Erwin had passed over to him. Although with it being Levi’s business, the alpha couldn’t help to peek over the slim shoulder, to get a good look at what must be… “Money?” he rasped out, not believing what he was seeing, with his own eyes. There was a shitload of bank notes sitting in that envelope.

“At least try to be discreet, when you have to stick your nose into none of your business.” Levi bit back, but made no attempt to even hide the amount of it, as he pulled out a bundle of bills and counted swiftly, what must be at least 30 grand if not even more. With one hand Levi reached for his meds chucking them down dry, before he would forget about it. 

“You don’t need that, I have more than enough money for the both of us.” The alpha couldn’t help but feel somewhat emasculated by the offending money inside the envelope. 

Who dared to think that he wasn’t able to provide for his omega all by himself? He could provide for an additional whole litter and their private schooling without even blinking an eye and then someone had the nerve to send his mate money of all the things they could have sent him? Erwin hadn’t noticed the growl that rumbled in his chest, as he leaned forward, almost hunching over Levi from behind to at least get a look at the note the motherfuckering bank fairy had the nerve to attach. 

He didn’t get to read the message and only got a glimpse of an ‘yours –F’ at the end of the note. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Erwin snarled obviously pissed off by the words, of course Levi had nothing of it and slapped him on the knee, as he gazed at it absentmindedly, looking incredibly in awe and even grateful?!

It wasn’t the fact that Erwin didn’t like that look on Levi’s face, he loved it, but the fact that some stranger was getting that usually hard earned expression, just for some stupid scrap of paper in an envelope, made Erwin chest clench with jealousy. If he had known Levi would have been so happy about something like that, he would have put some money in an envelope too and wrote an even nicer card. Something like:

"Come with me while the moon is on the sea

The night is young and so are we

Dreams come true in Blue Hawaii

And mine could all come true

This magic night of nights with you." With a picture of Stitch and palms on it, as a hint regarding their planned trip to Hawaii. At least for Erwin it was only a matter of time when they would fly, but now he wasn’t so sure if to Levi it was just an empty promise. Surely he knew Erwin had been serious? But then why was he staring at the money with so much wonder? 

“Put it away, darling, you don’t need that.” he said and tried to get a hold of the envelope, his hands grasping only air, as Levi turned swiftly away from him, shielding the envelope. 

“It’s from a friend and I earned it.” Levi emphasized, clutching the envelope with the money tighter in his grasp. 

“And that’s very nice of him, but honey, you don’t really need this, don’t you? If you like I can set up a bank account for you and put some money into it. I just didn’t know that this was so important for you, but I will go to the bank directly after the holidays and arrange everything.“ Erwin was quick to explain and he was damned, if it wasn’t at least twice the amount of the envelope, he would set into Levi’s new bank account just for the hell of it. The alpha felt somewhat stupid to argue about money of all things with his mate and first thing in the morning no less. 

Was Levi truly thinking he would take the money away from him and add it to his own account? Of course it was all proper tradition, that every belonging from the omega would be transferred to the alpha after a mating, but did Levi truly think he would do this to him?

The amount of money inside the envelope must look breathtaking for the omega, but for Erwin it wasn’t all that much. It simply wasn’t necessary for him to suddenly turn greedy at the sight of the bills inside the envelope. Of course Levi was supposed to add them on the account Erwin wanted to set up for him and since this apparently wasn’t all that clear to Levi, he told him so. 

“It isn’t just about the money, idiot.” Levi remarked, still refusing to hand over the envelope or at least put it away. Without thinking about what he was doing, Erwin had launched forward and grabbed the envelope, pulling at it in order to tear it from Levi’s hands. 

The omega held up against him with surprising strength, it was a miracle that the envelope wasn’t just ripped in half and then Levi did something Erwin hadn’t anticipated.

Suddenly Levi grabbed his bowl of porridge with one hand and tried to smash it against him with a scream in his desperation to keep the envelope. Just in time before it could hit him in the head, Erwin was able to catch the small wrist firmly. Porridge was splattering everywhere, onto Levi, onto Erwin, on the envelope and on the bed. For a moment they looked at each other, blue meeting gray as if they couldn’t believe what had happened. Erwin could feel a heat running through his body, anger and desperation for Levi to just get his point. He needed to be enough for Levi. 

He just-

Erwin’s thoughts contemplating the roots of his jealousy and how he would make his mate understand that he didn’t like to share what was his, came to a sudden stop, as he felt soft lips clashing against his own almost forcefully. 

Levi had leant forward, straddling his thighs effectively as his hands had finally abandoned the envelope and dropped the bowl to clutch onto the alpha in front of him. The small fingers roamed over his chest and Levi mewled into the kiss, as Erwin embraced Levi with his arms again and returned the kiss just as passionately. His tongue slipped into the small mouth and soon he deepened the kiss to get a taste of Levi, the sweetness of his breakfast still evident on his tongue. Erwin ignored the stickiness of the porridge spilled between them, as he lifted Levi from his lap to lay him flat on his back, climbing over his smaller frame immediately. 

“Gods, Levi, I-ah.” His breathy words trailed off into a moan, as Levi proceeded to mouth along his jawline down to his neck, hands pulling him closer and closer to the delicate body beneath him. Erwin couldn’t help but roll his hips up against Levi’s hard and groan at the friction it created on his throbbing cock. His pants felt like they were about to burst and he needed Levi to feel just how hard he got for him. 

The omega whined in response, the gray eyes fixated on Erwin, never leaving his face, as he stared up at him with his mouth slightly agape, as if in a silent prayer for his mate to finally do something about the itch tormenting his body. 

“Need you to be close, alpha.” Levi choked and as Erwin just looked down on him, also completely out of breath, but still with enough control to contemplate, if it was only the omega inside Levi talking, or also Levi’s choice, his mate added breathily “Erwin, alpha… please, I need you.”

Levi was still recognizing him as his mate, not as some faceless alpha with a knot to simply stuff his hole, and that was enough for Erwin, as he lunged forward again to take Levi’s lips into a bruising kiss. The big hands wandered over the small frame, only slightly bothered by the remains of the porridge on their clothes. The shift of position made the spoon and bowl clatter to the floor abandoned, but neither paid it any mind. Erwin reached the hem of Levi’s nightshirt, lifting his omega slightly, before pulling it swiftly over his head and whipping his hands clean on it, before returning his attention back to Levi’s body. 

The pale rose buds were already begging for attention and the alpha couldn’t resist playing with them for a while, circling around them and pinching them gently, as he watched them pucker up into stiff peaks, while he listened to his omegas breathless whines. He wanted to make this right this time around. Erwin was determined as he leant forward to suck one nipple into his mouth, with a gasp Levi let his fingers clutch the blond hair, as his back arched in pleasure, pressing himself even closer to the alpha hovering above him. Groaning Erwin let one hand wander beneath the small of Levis back, pressing him flush against him, as he proceeded to ravish his body. 

“Don’t hold back. Let me hear you, lovely. You’re mine, all mine.” He groaned out between kisses. 

The alpha’s patience was running thin, pent up lust and anger searing through his body as his kisses grew more aggressive, leaving marks on the pale skin before him. Seeing the faint red bloom on white flesh sated the possessiveness rummaging in his mind, proving over and over again that Levi was his and only HIS omega.

“Yes, yes, yours, ah- Erw- aaah.” Levi let out a startled yelp when Erwin leant up and pulled his PJ pants down his legs in one swift move. The sweet smell of slick filled the air, the moment Levi’s lower half was exposed and Erwin almost felt like a starving dog, as he immediately leaned down again, putting Levi’s legs over his shoulders to give him better access to the gleaming hole, now directly in front of his face. Slick was already pouring out of it slightly and Erwin couldn’t help but groan lowly in his throat at the sight of it. Just thinking about tasting it, before stretching him open, to feel the tightness first around his fingers and then clutch around his throbbing cock, made him hazy with desire. 

“Why am I always the first one naked?” Levi’s half hearted complaint was drowned out by a moan that left his lips the moment he felt Erwin’s deft tongue lick teasingly over his hole. 

Blue eyes looked up, a sufficient gleam shining inside them, as he drew that reaction from his mate. Before Levi could even prepare for the assault of his poor opening, large hands steadied his hips and then Erwin started to work his tongue in in earnest, licking up everything the omega had to offer, before dipping into his hole, tasting his inner walls thoroughly, as deep groans rumbled in his chest.

“You taste so sweet, babe, I can't wait to feel you clench around my cock… god! You’re so tight, you will milk your alpha’s cock so good.” Erwin rasped, as his mouth worked upwards again, his tongue dipping into the omega’s navel, before wetting his fingers generously with his spit.

Levi should be slick enough due to his heat, but Erwin didn’t want to take any chances. His omega indeed felt incredibly tight around his tongue, he still couldn’t fathom how his thick cock would fit inside the little hole and he wouldn’t want Levi to tear again. He wanted to make Levi cry like a bitch on his cock, but only because of pleasure, not because of pain. 

Levi’s breath hitched as the first finger entered. Erwin watched his reaction closely and only started moving the digit, when he was sure that his mate wasn’t in any pain, quickly working in a second one, as his darling boy started to rut back on his hands desperately. 

“Is this good, darling?” he inquired, as he began to scissor his fingers apart, stretching the tight walls. Levi couldn’t form a coherent answer. A wail left his mouth as Erwin brushed his prostate followed by a gush of slick as the omega grounded back onto the alpha’s thick fingers desperately, begging for Erwin to “fucking finally fill me up and stuff me with your knot.” 

“Patience.” Erwin crooned directed at Levi, but also himself, as he added a third finger. The heat was eating him up. His shirt clung to his body stickily, drenched with sweat and bits of porridge and when he had added a fourth finger into the tight passage, he couldn’t handle it anymore. Pulling the fingers out of the hole in a swift, but careful motion – Levi whimpering at the loss and sudden emptiness, the rim of his pucker clenching around nothing – Erwin quickly discarded his shirt and pulled down his pants, finally freeing his painfully throbbing erection. It bobbed heavily between his muscular thighs, as he climbed over Levi again to catch his mouth in another passionate kiss. Lining their bodies up, Erwin’s heavy cock grazed his mate's flat stomach and he could feel his omega shiver in anticipation underneath him.

“Please… Erwin, please… ah… fuck… nnnngh…” Levi straight out begged in between kisses, as Erwin spread Levi’s legs further apart with his own knees, settling himself firmly between them. Supported by one hand next to Levi’s head, the other wandering to Levi’s lips and without even telling him to, his omega obediently opened his mouth and slicked up the big fingers. 

“You’re so good for me…” Erwin groaned out, as he brought his fingers down to slick up his cock with a few strokes for good measure. 

Looking deeply into the gray eyes and looking for any sign of defiance or reluctance, Erwin lined his cock up with the trembling hole, the bulbous head pressed against the rim, before he eased himself inside slowly. A few noises of discomfort left Levi’s mouth and Erwin could feel fingers claw at his shoulders as the tightness squeezed around his shaft. He was only half way in, but suppressed every urge to just snap his hips forward and fuck into his mate, as deep as he could with one thrust. Just when Levi shifted his hips forward slightly, the alpha saw it as a sign to continue and then there was no way back anymore. With a growl Erwin pushed forwards, until he was completely filling up his mate, reveling in the tightness clenching around him, before pulling back, only to thrust back inside again, and again and again. The alpha’s forceful movements were accompanied by Levi’s mewls and pleas, but instead of begging him to stop, the omega was begging for “More!”, “Please, alpha!”, “HARDER, make me feel that I’m yours!”. Spurred on, Erwin rotated his hips when their hips were pressed flush together, searching for Levi’s sweet spot, until Levi suddenly let out a high pitched moan, clearly indicating that his alpha had hit his jackpot right there. With the precision only a rutting alpha with the mission to make his omega whine and mewl beneath him could muster. Erwin started to piston his hips almost violently, attacking Levi’s prostate dead on, until he could see tears forming in the corner of his omega’s eyes.

“F-fuck…” a breathy whimper escaped Levi’s mouth, just before he threw his head back and cried out shamelessly, spilling his orgasm between their bodies, to shudder in the throes of overstimulation. Despite being overridden by his heat, Levi tried to hide his tears from his alpha. His cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment, as he could do nothing more than lay beneath that beast of a man and let him ravish him. 

“Don’t hide your tears. Let me see you cry for me, my sweet omega.” Erwin growled, as he turned the smaller man's face in his direction, looking him directly in the eyes to admire the glistening tears escaping from them. The usually deep and contained voice sounded choked, as the tight walls attempted to milk him for all he was worth, as he fucked Levi through his first orgasm.

Levi wasn't sure, how the tables had turned so suddenly to them fucking like animals, he had originally planned to simply distract his mate with kisses. But he felt no fear, instead fireworks lit up behind his eyes, as Erwin kept grinding into his prostate, igniting the sparks anew over and over again. Warmth was building up, in every area their bodies touched, like Erwin would be the flame needed to ignite his candle. While Levi felt spent on some level after his orgasm, it still wasn't quite enough to satisfy all of him. He kept his ankles hooked behind the small of Erwin's back, restricting the alpha's radius of movement, while pressing his pelvis more firmly against his loins. He didn't want to let go of that delicious alpha cock filling him in all the right places just yet. 

It didn't take long for him to crave more, as he struggled to sit up in Erwin's lap, needing to hear the roaring heartbeat up close. 

His alpha helped lifting him up, to straddle the muscled thighs, while Levi buried his nails into his shoulder blades with a shameless mewl, at the switch of position, that allowed Erwin to slip in just a few inches deeper. 

"Ngh…. alpha!" Levi felt almost breathless, with the strain, but it felt so good, like this was exactly where Erwin belonged all along.

"I've got you. Relax." Erwin nuzzled his nose into the silky black hair of his omega, waiting for Levi to stop clamping up on him. It took him a lot of self restriction, but the moment Levi started fucking himself on his dick was well worth it. With every small thrust the omega in his arms keened louder, nose pressing against Erwin's pectorals. The pace was torturously slow, but each drag, even more delicious. The omega's ass was pretty much putty in his hands, melting around his length with every stroke. Levi kept clinging to him, his breath panting and sending puffs of air across the alpha's chest. Erwin couldn't help but groan, but he could also see Levi's energy depleting, as he struggled to keep bouncing. It was a sight to behold, to watch his omega ride him with utter pleasure, his primal instincts roaring in satisfaction.

"Ha, I need...please." Levi was straight out begging for it, the fire in his veins slowly fizzling, but not yet searing. This heat was different from any other he had before, he craved being close to Erwin, craved his alpha's touches, literally every inch of him.

Finally Erwin tolk mercy on his helplessly wriggling ass, both hands easily enclosing each of Levi's thighs to support him, before he snapped his hips up sharply, impaling his omega deeply. Levi shouted his name, choking on the syllables, as a beautiful blush spread all the way down to his chest, painting him in a glorious hue of pink. Erwin basked in it and easily managed to gently twist Levi around, so he could press his back flush to his chest and give him just that last inch more. The base of his knot was already swelling, teasing Levi's opening with each thrust, as Erwin slowly increased his pace, until he was literally pounding Levi.

Erwin's crown was drilling right into his overstimulated prostate, he couldn't do much more than droll and moan with utter abandon, his head resting on Erwin's collarbone, loling back and forth, while he kept nipping at the alpha's jugular teasingly, whenever he got close enough.

He wanted Erwin. All of him. He wanted to feel what he felt, wanted to know, what he knew. He just really wanted their connection back, so he could stop doubting his mate. Promises were just undulations of tongue, meant to dilute a pained heart after all and he needed more than that. More of that reassurance, more of Erwin. Levi wanted to give his all and everything. 

"God! Erwin. Your knot, please!" Levi sobbed openly, fingers almost bruising in their pursuit to regain his hold on their sweat slicked skin. His tears cascading down rosy cheeks, while Erwin kept filling him with his length.

Erwin was his.

He should stay HIS forever and always. No way in life would Levi ever allow anyone to fuck him, as thoroughly as Erwin Smith did.

With Levi clenching around him so tightly, Erwin knew he wouldn’t last long. Levi was completely out of it, begging and mewling for him to just knot him finally and the alpha longed for nothing more than to do just that. Not yet. He needed to hold out a moment longer. Leaning down he caught Levi’s attention with a deep kiss, moving his lips and tongue sensually against his mates until they were both out of breath. Erwin was still rolling his hips inside his mate, but slowed down his pace, as he captured Levi’s face with one hand, caressing the flushed cheeks lovingly. Levi immediately tried to press even closer, leaning into the touch. 

“Levi…” Erwin panted, as he gazed down at Levi intently, fixating just on him with an intense stare that made shivers run over the omega’s skin. Levi’s breath hitched. when Erwin proceeded to grind his hips against his, the beginning of his knot teasing at the stretched rim. 

Blue eyes focused on the faint bonding mark at his neck, before the blond leaned down to place a kiss on it, almost as if he was asking permission. If Levi would deny him now, it would shatter his heart, but he wouldn’t force himself onto him again. Small hands shot up to grasp blond strands of hair, but instead of pushing him away, they pulled him closer, tugging and urging him on. 

“I’m yours… only yours.” Levi whined and hearing that sweet voice beg for his mark again, made Erwin snap his hips intently, until he could feel his growing knot catch inside of his mate, in the second he bit down to restore their bonding mark with a deep possessive growl.

He felt his cock throb inside the tight passage, as his release filled up his omega’s insides. Levi was clenching around him and his inner alpha howled at him to breed him up, despite knowing that he was on birth control. Blissed out by pleasure, he allowed himself to revel in the illusion for a second. He wanted everything with Levi, everything just for Levi, and for them together, and most of all Erwin didn’t want to let go, his teeth breaking the skin until he drew blood, afraid that it wouldn’t work, that the mark wouldn’t stick anymore. The moment Levi’s blissed out mewls transcended into pained whimpers and he felt small fingers tuck at his hair, Erwin pulled back and lapped away the red blood to admire the bonding mark, now not faint at all anymore and looking as good as new.

For a while Erwin couldn’t help but stare down at Levi in amazement, a small laugh of relief and utter joy escaping him, as he beamed at his mate, before connecting their lips again. Emotions and impressions mixed with his own like a noise in the back of his mind. Happiness, nervousness, love, lust, admiration, needing to be close… everything came together and Erwin was overwhelmed to have the connection with his mate back, even feeling it stronger than he had ever before. 

“Mine…” he breathed out faintly, as he rolled onto his back, mindful of his knot, and draped Levi over his bare chest, enveloping the small body of his beloved with his arms, after he had pulled the blanket over them. 

He could feel Levi’s teeth nibble at his own bonding mark faintly until he bit down, too. Erwin wasn’t sure if this had been necessary, but he wasn’t one to complain. Levi biting him back again, made his heart flutter and his knot throb in response. His fingers drew lazy circles on Levi’s back and only came to a pause, when he felt wet drops dripping down onto his neck.

“Levi, honey?” he asked, as he craned his neck to look at the raven, but his mate was hiding his face against his neck, as a tiny sob was wrecked from his body. “Did I hurt you? Is everything okay?” he inquired, although he couldn’t feel any physical pain through their bond. He couldn’t make out what Levi was feeling at all, it was everything at once, tumbling inside of him, whirling and rattling through him. 

“No… I’m… to feel everything.. from you again, everywhere… it’s just…”

“Overwhelming?” 

“Yeah.” Levi fell silent again and sniffled a bit, until Erwin reached out to the nightstand to hand him a tissue. Only moving so slightly, but Levi still followed his motion, making Erwin feel all of his weight –not so impressive- and whimpering slightly at his alpha for leaning away for just a second. 

“I’m not going anywhere, my love.” Erwin chuckled at the clingy display of his mate. 

He wouldn’t, even if he could, but for the next remaining thirty minutes at least his knot would be buried firmly inside his mate and lock them together tightly. They mostly stayed in Levi’s bed for the remainder of the day, only leaving to take a nice steaming bubble bath together to get cleaned up. Levi’s heat would be different, so much he was told, but Erwin began to understand what exactly that meant. Although the alpha was ready to go again and again, Levi wasn’t bothered by the same lust. Actually his heat seemed to make him more clingy and needy. He always wanted to be close, his body pressed to his alpha tightly and he refused to get up and out of the bed, unless Erwin would carry him.

Then he would cling to his alpha like a koala to an eucalyptus tree, arms wrapped around the strong neck and calves crossed behind his back. He would constantly bury his nose into the warm skin, smell and lick all over him, and giving the alpha a hard time – quite literary. Still he wouldn’t push his mate off, no matter how painfully his dick would ache in his boxers or how sweet Levi smelled. 

Sometimes they would indulge in kissing each other, tongues stroking against each other lazily, but one time, Levi showed mercy on his poor constantly worked up alpha – he had been playing absentmindedly with the coarse hair of Erwin’s happy trail leading down to his crotch for over half an hour, making his cock throb and soak the boxers with precum, until the omega realized what he had been doing. 

His alpha had been glaring at him almost feverishly, the veins of his neck pulsating as much as his aching cock, as he fought to hold back and endure his mate’s unintended teasing. Mumbling something that sounded a lot like ‘horny bastard’, Levi finally let his hands wander lower to stroke him off, since he was not quite in the mood for another mating, but couldn't bear to see his alpha suffer anymore. 

Aside from that, they spend the days cuddled up, sleeping most of the time. At least Levi did, feeling drained from the constant heat waves rushing through him and the new mix of emotion added to his own. Even when Erwin would just get up to tend to his own hygiene, Levi would whine loudly, until he came back and so Erwin ended up with holding Levi in one arm and brushing his teeth with his other hand, while Levi scolded him that “Three minutes aren’t over yet!” whenever Erwin wanted to spit out the foam and put his toothbrush back.

The days up to new years were domestic bliss, both of them basking in their renewed bond and the afterglow of coupling. Levi was content just being wrapped up in Erwin's arms, wasting the time away, processing all the new emotions and the endless flood of loving Erwin showered him with, through the bond, as well as in person. He never once complained about his omega's clinginess and Levi finally felt complete and at home again. The unsteady feeling in the back of his head, that had been rising doubts over doubts and driven his anxiety through the roof, suddenly had fallen silent with Erwin's bite. Maybe the damaged bond had taken more of a tool on him than either of them had realized.

Levi just hoped this wouldn't be only temporary.

They made love a few more times, but not as aggressively. Erwin still gave it to him hard, if he begged for it, but nothing that left any injuries behind. He always took great care to prep him all throughout. By the time their hormones had run their course, there was a lot of bed linen to be laundered.


	34. Xmas gift for Skoene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please take this short Survey and write or copy paste your comment about our fanfic as a whole into it.  
This is necessary for me to create Skoene's Xmas gift. Thank you.  
Please share the link with friends.

Please take this short Survey and write or copy paste your comment about our fanfic as a whole into it.

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Please share the link with friends. You have time until November 1st 2020.

Also there is an Edit to the start of Chapter 32 we forgot Levi's birthday present, so scroll back and say Hi to Maksim.

**Author's Note:**

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